Our 7.5 month old is headed to daycare in 3 weeks. He currently is taking two naps a day, between 45 minutes and 2.5 hours. At daycare he will be in a room with 5 other kids and 2 teachers, and the lights are always on. I know people say they just figure it out but I can't imagine how he is going to nap.
Any tips for easing the transition? We're try to leave his lights dim during naps, and I've ordered a sleep sheep for his daycare crib.
Tell me about your experience with daycare naps!
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
The lights aren't on at our in home! Even at the center we toured, they dim them to signify nap time
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
Our center has scheduled nap blocks, during which they dim the lights and play soft music. On the days when he doesn't nap well they'll quietly read or play with him, or bring him down to a different (usually older) room.
He was pretty particular about how he slept when he was home with me, and I was really nervous. The first week was definitely trying, but he adjusted beautifully!
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
Dd was a great overnight sleeper, but a terrible napper for the first year of her life while she was home with me. I was so worried about how she would sleep at daycare in a room with 3 other babies.
It was a rough 2 weeks. Some days she would nap, some days she wouldn't - but the daycare workers just kept at it and told me not to worry. Finally, something clicked and she started taking great naps at daycare...which, bonus - has translated to great naps at home now too!
persimmon / 1431 posts
My LO started daycare last week, and her naps are super short. They even have a white noise machine, and the nap area is dim, but she still can't get good naps. I'm hoping that she is still just adjusting and her naps will get better eventually (I really hope!).
pomelo / 5607 posts
For what it's worth, I don't actually recommend the sleep sheep. As a nanny, I found that when it cut off it would frequently wake the kid up.
kiwi / 567 posts
@blackbird: @lovehoneybee: The center we are at said they just put the kids down without dimming the lights. It seemed nuts to me too!
@Pumpkin Pie: Hoping things get better for you guys soon.
@Torchwood: Good to know. I didn't think to check how long it played for. I may have to just return it.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@Torchwood: I found that the sleep sheep is not loud enough!
grapefruit / 4079 posts
Our center doesn't dim the lights in the infant room. M started at 10.5 months. Did not sleep a single second the first two months. Once the two oldest kids moved up to Toddler and babies moved in he started taking one hour long nap. He's 15 months and still takes two decent naps at home but I'll take what I can get. Once he moves to Toddler they have an actual nap time where lights are off and everyone rests.
kiwi / 567 posts
@ladybee: Oh god. Was he just a total wreck for two months or did he adjust at nighttime? This is my fear.
grapefruit / 4079 posts
@Little Misters Mom: he adjusted at night time. He went to bed a little early some days and slept so much on the weekends. His mood was still pretty great.
pomelo / 5660 posts
Our daycare does not dim lights in infant room. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, daycare naps SUCK in the infant room. It's better when they move up a level and the kids nap at the same time.
coffee bean / 34 posts
My LO started daycare 6 wks ago when he was 3 1/2 months. I nap trained him prior to daycare. The first two weeks at daycare he napped really great, but his naps are really bad now. He takes about two to three 30 min naps. The good thing is that he's not fussy at the end of the day. Daycare naps SUCK!
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
I find these comments interesting! Our daycare's infant room is 6-12 months but they stay together through the school year, so the babies are around 15-21 months by the time they all move rooms. They have a separate nap area where the cribs & mats are, with a curtain separating it from the rest of the room. That area is always dim & quiet and they play white noise. The babies are all on their own nap schedule and if it is time for a nap, they go in the nap room.
LO actually napped in a stroller for the first couple months in daycare because it was the only way she would go to sleep. She started at 10 months. At 12 months, they started transferring her to a mat and now she takes a 2-3 hour nap on her mat. I never would have believed it but she sleeps better at school than at home now!
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