My 1 year old son hates sleep!?

Question

He fights every nap by screaming, wriggling, kicking, pinching. Even after he falls asleep he'll shake his head or kick his leg to wake up. It's very frustrating and takes forever to get him to sleep and he usually won't nap long. He's also usually cranky when awake - probably because of his sleep habits. Any suggestions?

Some of these answers are shocking. I'm amazed how many crappy parents or potential crappy parents there are out there. I ask for serious help and get answers such as giving him alcohol or that he's retarded. I rock him so I have more time with him, we run a fan for noise, warm milk, etc. I do thank those that give serious suggestions and want to help.

Answer 1

My first guess would be teething pain. My suggested course would be to schedule an apt. with your Dr. to have a general check just to eliminate any chance of more serious problems. If it is just teething pains there are as many ways to help the problem as there are sleepless parents. try using an INFANT pain reliever a few minutes before bedtime. chilling a teething ring in the fridge can help. placing an old wind up clock ( the ticking sounds like a mothers heartbeat) in bed with the baby. try one of the nature sounds tapes played SOFTLY through nap time. Just loud enough to obscure the household sounds that would/could be creating curiosity. seek the advice or ideas from friends and family. Grandmas are a fantastic source of old school remedies, and most of them will relish the chance to be helpful. My second guess would be colic - again ask Grandma for ideas - try dissolving a (1) peppermint in a full bottle of water and giving it to the baby, it can help with minor digestion problems and can't hurt.
- - - - Please be careful - - - - some of the answers that have been given to you on this subject are scary and a couple are just plain dangerous and Illegal!! Just remember this is a baby. It's not buggin you on purpose, there will be a reason for the discomfort! You just have to find out what it is. I know - easier said than done when they're not old enough to talk . be patient and don't give up it'll be worth it when you get to help with the same kind of problems with your grandkids, just like grandparents will enjoy helping you now, even if they're not yours don't count them out, ask, they have a lot of life experience to share.

Answer 2

He probably just doesn't want to stop what he's doing. He's learning so much every day and there are so many new things that he can reach and do now that he just can't stop! With my son, he would turn into a total snot when I said it was time for a nap, or bed. It didn't matter what I did, it was always a fight. The doctor suggested I not use the words nap or bedtime, instead I tried to use, rest time or down time and explained to him that he just needed to chill with mommy for a few minutes. We'd lay down on the couch together and he'd calm down and usually within 10 minutes, he'd be fast asleep.

You son may also be trying to cut out his nap. Try letting him stay awake all day and see what happens. You may be surprised to find that he'll actually want to go to bed earlier and sleep longer!

All in all, just keep trying different things. Give each new thing a week or two before you totally discard it though. If it keeps up, talk to your doctor at his next well baby visit.

Good luck!

Answer 3

When my son was 1, he was very active and busy. Nap times always involved a small amount of crying and resistance. He was too busy to be bothered with a nap. Here are some things that I learned that helped IMMENSELY.

Do you allow time for a winding down before nap: reading together, sitting down and drinking some milk, snuggling and talking? A lot of kids are going 100 mph then are expected to just stop everything and go straight to sleep.

At that age kids need a set schedule. If there is no real routine during the day, their bodies don't know when to settle down.

Many people rely on the TV in the room to help them fall asleep but I highly discourage this. For one, the kids will watch that instead of sleeping. And secondly, when we're asleep, our subconscious is open and quite venerable. Do you really want all that garbage that's on TV influencing your kid's subconscious?

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Have a talk with an allergist and nutritionist. He may be reacting to something in his diet and/or home environment.

In the meantime let him cry it out. Lie him down where he is safe and don't give in.

If he is kicking or pinching at a year old then you need to nip that in the bud. Give him a firm NO and leave him in his crib alone the minute he does it.

Yes he will scream, his face will get red and you will feel terrible, but you have to do it. If he isn't ill, it's the beginning of a serious disciplinary (control) problem.

Answer 5

He may be hyperactive or have adhd. To best determine this you should take him to a doctor.

However, you could always try a small amount of warm coffee in his bottle. The caffiene has an adverse affect on hyperactive children and if he is hyper or adhd.

A doctor told my mom to use that method with me when she refused the narcotic approach. I was so hyper that I never took a nap until I was 19 and pregnant with my son, but I can honestly say that a small cup of coffee made a huge difference when I was a kid.

Oh, and NO SUGAR. Sugar makes hyperactivity worse.

Answer 6

As annoying as it sounds, just let him stay up and set his own sleep schedule. If you're trying to force the issue, it's becoming a power struggle. As a parent, you CAN'T win a power struggle over sleep. You can make the child go to bed, but you can't force him to get some shut-eye.

A 1 yr old will get very cranky when tired and will probably annoy the heck out of you. They question you need to ask yourself is whether you're saving yourself annoyance by forcing the child to go to bed. If you're not, put the child in his room, possibly in its crib and let it do whatever until it's too exhausted to stay awake.

I found with my daughter that if she went to bed upset, she often woke up in the same state. I'm not sure if it's memory, some sort of hormonal residue or what, but it wasn't always worth the struggle. Sleep is required, and will come when it's needed.

Answer 7

I was the same way as a kid still hate naps and still hate to sleep.. the best way would be to control his diet. NO SUGAR.. and that means anything with white flour. So go to whole wheat and in a week he will run out of energy and sleep well. Make sure you go to diet pops, sugar free cool aids, ect. Or better yet just water. Then read the ingredients. If it has white processed flour, sugar, corn syrup, cut it out.

Answer 8

make sure he is not eating any caffeine or sugar. diet can contribute to this. Read different books on how to get kids to sleep and try all the ideas. See if something works. You have to have a lot of patience. Just breathe, don't say a word. Or sing the same song over and over again - to give their ears something consistent. Or play the same gentle soothing music every time for sleeping. conditioned response. You have to reduce stimulation. I tend to prefer rocking them to sleep, yes it could take 45 mins to an hour. try to enjoy it.

Answer 9

maybe its what he is eating b4 its time to take a nap or maybe he's not that active during the day. If he is engaged in physical activity such as playing and running around maybe it will tire him out making it easier for him to fall asleep without all the fussiness.

Answer 10

Classic signs of too much sugar in the diet. Remove anything from his diet that contains sugar. Also the best way to make a kid sleep that I have found is a car ride. Just put him in his seat and drive around the block a few times with no music on.