DD won't nap at daycare

aforst

I'm not sure how to help her get some sleep there.  She is at a licensed center and the room is set up with the play area in the front and then the cribs lined up towards the back.  Her crib is the very last one on the left.  The state licensing has a rule that unless all of the children are asleep, the lights must be on.  I'm sure that doesn't help.  It's also fairly noisy in there because babies. 

She will fall asleep in their arms or in the bouncer, but as soon as they try to move her to the crib she wakes up.  They aren't technically supposed to let her sleep in the bouncer or their arms but sometimes they do so she can get some sleep. 

Any suggestions?  She's a tired mess in the evenings and that stinks b/c that's the only time we have with her during the week. 

aforst

TyrannosaurusLex said:

How old is she? That's a pretty tough sleep environment, I really feel for her.

Sorry I forget the tickers aren't there on mobile!  She's almost 9 months.  She naps really well at home for us.  We rock her to sleep but when we put her down she stays down.  Now, that's in her quiet room though.  I feel like I don't know what to ask daycare to do since the lights are a licensing thing.

aforst

She's been there since August.  She napped better when she was younger, but the older she gets, the more aware she is of what is going on around her. 

@iamjojo She doesn't have a strict nap schedule at home, we mostly just follow her cues.  Typically though, she wakes up in the morning and eats and then she's usually ready for a nap about an hour later.  That one is usually only about an hour.  She will take another nap in the afternoon usually for around two hours. 

I think we might just have to wait it out.  I'm not sure what else to do.  I don't think they are supposed to move until they are one.  I mean, she's generally taking like 10-15 min naps.  It makes me feel so bad b/c I know how well she'd sleep at home with me, but I'm at work, blah blah.  I just hate that our evenings with her are so rough.  I do enjoy rocking her to sleep though! 

aforst

So this is what I found on my State's daycare licensing regulations:

■

470 IAC 3-4.7-106 Heat, light,

ventilation, and air conditioning

Authority: IC 12-13-5-3

Affected: IC 12-17.2-4

Sec. 106. (a) Installation, testing, and

maintenance of heating, ventilation, air

conditioning, fire alarm, and sprinkler systems shall comply with the rules of the FPBSC

under 675 IAC.

(b) When natural light is insufficient, it shall be supplemented by artificial light so that the

following minimum levels of illumination are maintained:

(1) All food service areas shall have a minimum of seventy (70) foot-candles.

(2) All food storage areas, including refrigerators, shall have a minimum of twenty (20)

foot-candles.

(3) Desks, table top work areas, reading areas, locked medication storage areas, and art

rooms shall have a minimum of fifty (50) foot-candles.

(4) Gymnasiums, large muscle equipment areas, bathrooms, locker rooms, and diaper

changing areas shall have a minimum of thirty (30) foot-candles.

(5) Hallways, corridors, stairwells, storage rooms, and food storage areas shall have a

minimum of twenty (20) foot-candles.

(6) Rest and nap areas shall have a minimum of five (5) foot-candles in all areas.

Our Director told me that they came in with a machine that measures the "foot-candles" of the room and that the window didn't provide enough light, so they had to keep the lights on unless all the babies are sleeping. 

I don't think I could sleep very well in that environment!

aforst

TonsilHockey said:

@aforst, that's where we were. I think it might be an age thing too. Once she realizes she's not missing out on anything, she might settle down. Although, my kid waits until everyone is asleep, then wants to "talk" to the teachers, THEN she'll go to sleep.

I would set up a routine at home that mirrors DC. That's what I did to transition her to one nap on the weekends. They are ALL ABOUT the schedule at DC, so it might help to follow it Sat/Sun.

I just wish they'd turn the lights off for her and all the kids. Turn on a low lamp (on a high shelf) or something.

See, I wonder why they can't put an extra light at the front of the room where the play area is to make that area brighter and leave the back lights off so that the babies can nap?  Maybe I can ask her about that.  I'm also going to ask and see if they have her on any type of schedule for napping or if they are just trying to put her down when she seems tired. 

I'd also like to know if my kid is the only one that's struggling with this...

AshleyO925

I've had the same problem with my daughter since Sept. She is almost 10 months and naps for maybe 40 mins a day at daycare. At home she naps twice for at least an hour each, usually more. I have no real advice just that she started going to bed around 6:30 during the week to make up for it. Stinks I can't get more than two hours a day with her, but she still does good naps on the weekend.

Giava26

Sorry to hear your DD is having a rough time. Our daycare also doesn't turn off lights in the infant rooms. Some of the babies would sleep better with a noise machine. Would they let you bring in a noise machine to place next to her crib and maybe help drown out the rest of the noise in the room?