The "Sleep" Post...Seriously? At Age 2?

I have been SUPER fortunate with both my kids that sleeping has very rarely been an issue. Once we passed the newborn phase they both sleep through the night every night. I have never had issues with naps either. I have PLENTY of issues...but luckily sleep hasn't really been one of them. For the record, for my son I used tools from The No Cry Sleep Solution, and for my daughter I did a modified form of CIO. I just did what felt right with each kid, and like I said, after about six months we were good to go. (Knock on wood...throw salt over the shoulder...all those things we say to not jinx something that has worked well up until this point...)

However.

My daughter has not been napping at daycare. She is in a room with other kids (duh. daycare.) and apparently unless she immediately lays right down and goes to sleep, she gets bored and then stands up and starts talking to the other kids. If they don't answer her, she yells to them. After a few minutes that is (obviously) disruptive to the kids that are trying to sleep and she has to be removed from the room. The daycare ladies are FANTASTIC and then take turns rocking her and singing to her and sometimes they even lay down with her in a different room. In those instances she will, of course, fall asleep with them (spoiled much?). But obviously that can't happen every day. Fortunately the no napping thing doesn't happen every single day, but it does happen at least a couple days a week. And when it does happen? Man...my nights are rough. That is the understatement of the year. She is so freaking tired that she just sits (or stands) in one position and screams because she is so tired that she can't even decide what she's upset about. I have felt like that. I know how bad it sucks. Today was one of those days.

And for comparison purposes, I have absolutely NO issues getting her to nap at home. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, she goes down without any fussing at all, rarely even makes a noise, and sleeps soundly for at least 2 hours sometimes 3 hours (I think she makes up for not sleeping during the week at daycare). On a rare occasion she will chat in her bed and then lay down and go to sleep, but I have NO issues at all at home. Sleeps like a dream.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Obviously I understand that if she is being disruptive to the other kids she has to be removed from the situation. But that's not going to change anytime soon. She is going to be in daycare/preschool until she starts kindergarten. And she JUST turned 2. The girl needs her naps. It isn't her daycare ladies not trying; like I said, they are fabulous and do more to try and get her to sleep than I would probably do. But on the days (like today) when it simply doesn't work, she is an utter terror at night. And yes, it is horrible for me (and her brother) to have to deal with. But mostly I know it is horrible for her. I know that feeling of being so bone tired that you just want to stand there and cry. And it sucks. I feel horrible for her. But unfortunately she doesn't seem to understand the logic when I explain to her, "Peanut...you feel this way because you didn't sleep at school today. You NEED to nap at school when it is nap time...then you won't feel like this..." I don't know why her two-year-old brain can't comprehend that. :)

She has her 2 year appointment with her doctor this Thursday and I am going to mention it to him and see if he has any thoughts. But you guys are just as good as doctors, right? What do YOU think?