LO not napping well, starting daycare soon

SmrBrd2012

Anyone have an LO that won't nap in daycare? He only seems to nap for me and sometimes for dad. His grandmas are watching him the first two weeks of this month and keep reporting that he isn't napping well. I've given then suggestions but they don't seem to be working or they might just be waiting for LO to fall asleep on his own which he doesn't do. Either way it's making me nervous for daycare which starts in a couple weeks where he will have less one on one care.

ldmw

My LO only napped while I held her during maternity leave. The first few days of daycare she didn't nap much and crashed when she got home. After a few days she learned to nap at daycare and in her crib on her own. She's fine and sleeps really well there now.

Try not to worry. You're paying for good care providers. My motto was I wanted every snuggle I could get before she started daycare. Her teachers could teach her how to nap on her own bc I sure was not going to.

supersarah77

I worried about that with DD when I went back to work. She took a little bit to adjust but startle sleeping just fine. They deal with babies eating, sleeping, and pooping all day every day. They know lots of strategies. Once when I was struggling with naps at home I asked what they did at daycare and she was like, "we just put a hand on her back for like 5 mins." I'm thinking there's no way it's that easy when I was doing every thing at home and it was a battle. Tried the hand thing and it worked. They're experts and will get your LO napping in no time.

MegsB1112

My LO took 2 ten minute naps and 1 five minute nap the other day at the sitter's. She was asleep for the night by 5:30. She's a cat napper but will at least take a couple 20 minute naps. Not that day! I don't worry too much. She still gets the sleep she needs when she's at home.

conwayjlnm

My LO started daycare 3 weeks ago and the first two weeks were awful. He was only getting one or two twenty minute naps in. I work close enough so I go nurse him every day for lunch and often he would pass out while I fed him, and apparently would not stay asleep long after I left. This left me with an extremely overtired baby, we would get home at 5:30 and he would cry the entire ride home and I would nurse him as soon as we got home, and he would fall asleep for the night at 6. I found out that his daycare teachers just wanted to play with him, and apparently thought I would be upset if he slept too much. Ridiculous. After that I gave them specific instructions on him napping (I know sometimes he just won't sleep for them, and that's ok) and he sleeps much better. I found out that other parents would get mad if they let the babies sleep too much and they didn't know I felt differently. Share your concerns with the caretakers, as well as how much sleep you would prefer baby gets. They do want to keep your LO's routine as close to what you've been doing as possible and you know baby's needs the best. And, it's what you are paying them to do.

SmrBrd2012

Thanks all I really appreciate the advice! My main concern is that since he won't get as much one on one attention that they won't be able to settle him down for naps. Hopefully that won't be the case

erin79

You'd be surprised what they can get your baby to do at daycare. They spend all day every day with babies, so they know what they're doing. There might be a week or two of an adjustment period for LO, but he'll get used to the noise and the lights, and learn how to sleep with it. I will say, though, that both of my kids slept/sleep totally different at daycare than at home, at least as babies. My son got into a very regular napping schedule at home around 4 months, where he slept for 1.5-2 hours in the morning and afternoon. However, at daycare he took shorter, more frequent naps. It never affected his nighttime sleep, and we were able to maintain great naps on the weekends, so I just had to accept that that's how it would be. Same with my daughter now. We're not on a schedule yet, but she's still much more regular with her sleep at home than at daycare. Just something to keep in mind so hopefully you don't stress too much about it.