i feel like..

the worst mummy in the world today. 21 month old DS has refused a day sleep since shifting to a big boys bed, but obviously needs it and will fall asleep in the car no sweat. DS2 is due to arrive any day now and I'm at my wits end about getting him to sleep in the day in his bed before the new baby arrives. In desperation today I've left him shut in his room and his crying is breaking my heart. any more constructive ideas out there? I won't be able to take him out in the car every day.

DD is the same- she started a full day at daycare at around 2 1/2 and I was driving her to sleep too,...at daycare I took her buggy and they rocked her to sleep in the sleep room,...then she very quickly progressed to sleeping on a cot mattress on the floor like the other kids,...which suprised us all. Find something that works for both of u and stick with it. Good luck.

You're not the worst Mummy in the world, its a hard job :)

Can you try and encourage rest time, which may turn into nap time. If my DS is resisting a nap quite often I'll lie down with him, read a book listen to some music or cuddle. Like I say this more often the not turns into a nap.

Goo Luck :)

Is putting him back into a cot an option? That is one reason we have decided not to transition DS1 yet to a bed as with the baby around it is much easier to not have to deal with him getting up on his own.

We had day sleep strike at about the same age, but we are now reliably back to a naps (24 months old). I kept the same routine - popping her down for a rest (she's still in her cot) and some days she didn't sleep...but, she does again now. Lots of our friends have hit exactly the same at this point too. Hang in there! x

We did the "resting" trick at our house with CD stories on. Get a long CD (or put it on repeat!) and tell him he doesn't have to sleep just rest until ...you come back and get him...or the CD finishes (whichever works).

DS usually fell asleep occasionally he did just rest but it was better than nothing.

Hi MrsJMcD, the exact same thing happened to us. We tried to get DS (20mnths) in a big bed well in advance of the new one arriving but he wouldn't have a bar of it. Then he started climbing out of his cot and it was getting really dangerous so we persevered with the bed. He had just started doing an awesome midday sleep in the cot that would last 2 hours. Suddenly he would not go to sleep during the day at all and instead rampaged around his room enjoying the freedom!

Soooo despite being heavily pregnant I've been rocking him off to sleep like he's a newborn. Firmly holding him sideways across my body and swaying like a nutter plus quietly singing boring repetitive songs. It has actually worked really well. He had settled down so well at night and is self settling in the big bed no problems. During the day I think he is probably at the stage where I can start putting him down sleepy rather than rocking him all the way off and then inch backwards from there (put him down more and more awake). For me it was just that I could see he was so tired so I had to get him to sleep whatever way possible in the hope the habit would lead back to self settling.

All the best! Several weeks ago I was at my wits end but now I figure...if I can rock that heffulump off to sleep the newborn is going to feel like a feather

Hey MrsJ, another Sep 2010 mum saying hi!
We are due with our second too, but not till Jan. I hope you get something sorted! I like the idea of a recorded story or something - anyone got some suggestions of good sources for them?