We've got a 16 month old girl who has been on a fairly regular sleep schedule for a long time now. Recently, in the matter of about a week, she refuses to nap anymore though. We do our normal nap wind down, and when we get to her crib she whimpers and when put in the crib she screams at the top of her lungs standing at the edge. She will do this for the entire minimum of an hour, which we try to enforce. Before this she was pushing up to 2.5hr naps, which were great. The nap time is on a regular schedule, and since she's started doing this she is clearly showing signs of being tired as it approaches.
Her ideal sleep schedule is:
- Wake 7am.
- Nap 9am
- Wake 10-11 on her own.
- Nap 1pm, or 2pm (about 2-2.5 hrs after previous wake)
- Wake 3-4pm
- Bedtime routine about 4 hours after last wake (bath, change, book, milk bottle, in crib)
- In crib usually about 745-830, depending on day's timings
- Generally cries about 15-20 minutes, sometimes needing an extra rocking, but then goes to sleep well.
- Sleeps through night ideally, sometimes one wake.
This all went out the window recently with her refusing to nap. Its also gotten more difficult to put her to sleep at night since, when she cries more than usual. She has always cried when going to sleep, but now more. She has been waking more than usual at night as well, sometimes for 2 hours when she is not hungry, but wants to be awake, held or running around her crib talking/babbling to herself. Of course, we are required to be there and she screams until that happens. Sometimes she tries to fall asleep in our arms, but generally can't do that. The moment we put her back in her crib to sleep she screams a piercing scream.
We generally have found letting her cry for a bit will let her fall asleep, but lately it is all scream or be held, a very strong attachment need happening. How can we get past this and resume naps? Why might she be doing this now?