Daycare and naps -- I'm at a loss

[kc456]

Does anyone have advice on getting better naps at day care? My son (3.5 months) is having a rough time napping there, which makes me miserable too.

He spent 3 half days at day care last and this week, and he never got a good nap. The best he managed was 40 min. For example, on day one his naps were 0 - skipped a nap; 25 min; 40 min. On another day, his naps were 30 min, 15 min, 5 min, and 40 min. He is wiped out from lack of sleep and miserable at the end of the day.

When we come home, he crashes at 5:30 or 6 PM. The poor fellow shifted his schedule so he takes his first morning nap at home, from 6 to 8 AM. Which also means that he's awake for an hour from 5 AM in the morning.

It's really a bummer because he's super easy to take care at home. He rarely cries or fusses. Goes down for his naps easily -- just give him the pacifier, turn on white noise CD and put him in his crib at the right moment, and he's asleep after 5-10 min. Sleeps well -- he gets at least two naps 1 hr 30 min or longer, and another one of 45 min or so (that's in addition to the 6 AM nap). Although I do sometimes have to soothe him back to sleep if he wakes up 45 min into it.

Does napping at day care get better? Will he eventually get desensitized to the noise and cries of other babies? Out of all issues with day care, I never thought about naps, and now I'm at a loss what to do.

Any advice on how I can help him sleep better at day care?

For reference, his current daily schedule (at home) is roughly like this:

E  5 AM wake up and eat
A  Hang out with me in bed
S  6 AM - early morning nap ~2 hrs

E  8:30 AM eat
A  play
S  10 AM nap ~1.5 hrs

E  12 PM
A  play
S  1:30 PM ~1.5 hrs

E  3:30 PM
A  errands
S  4:30 PM ~45 min

E  5:30
A  bath
S  6 PM ~ asleep for the night

10 PM - dream feed; 2:30 AM - night feeding (dad gives bottle)

[mommytocandd]

Napping at daycare is tough!  There are so many new faces and toys that it can be hard for them to settle down.  When DS started daycare, he would only nap if someone rocked him/held him until he fell asleep.  We had a rough time with his sleep when he was young (lots of PU/PD, and shhh/pat) and it took until he was 4 or 5 months until he'd nap in his crib and go to sleep at night without a fight.  Luckily rocking him to sleep at daycare did not interfere with his sleep at home.  I found that having a daycare lovey helped, a special blanket from home (maybe one that you took to bed so it smells like you) and his soother were lifesavers.  Also, bring in some pictures of you (?to put on his crib) so he won't miss you as much.  Good luck!!  If your lo is easy with sleep at home, hopefully it won't take long for him to catch on at daycare.

[brightside]

They do get more used to the noise after a while. The tip about a lovey is good. I would also talk to the carers about the routine you use before putting DS to bed. Also, keep an eye on the times that they are putting him down so that he is not getting overtired. My DS went through a 40 minute nap stage at that age, even though he wasn't at daycare then!  If your LO sleeps well at home, there's a good chance he will adjust well there. Good luck!