Nap time at day care??

[jamm]

First of all, I want to thank the baby whisperer and all of you for all your advice - every hurdle we've had to leap over has been easier thanks to this site.

We used sh/pat when our lo was a newborn, dream fed her to sleep through the night, PD to teach her to sleep on her own and even W2S when we were getting 5:30 am wake up calls (now she gets up closer to 7:00 am!!). We are lucky to have an angel baby, but now have another issue to tackle.

My daughter is now 10.5 months old and thrives on her nap time routine...diaper change, story, turn on white noise machine, turn off lights, swaddle (she still enjoys this with one arm out), sing lullaby one time and in her crib she goes. I will be going back to work in about a month and leaving her with a home day care provider who will likely not be putting her to sleep in her own, dark room with white noise. I'd like to be able to "train" my lo to be able to nap when it's not pitch dark so it won't be a challenge when she's at day care. Any suggestions on how to do this??

I haven't tried yet at home - I think maybe a more gradual transition would do the trick?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!!

[Brandonsmom]

maybe you could start off with just a night light on, then move to a lamp and so on until you get enough light in the room that is equivilant to what she will be around at daycare? it might have to be a gradual thing too. i'm no expert because we put our lo down in a dark room but that is the only way to get him to sleep. the stinker is everytime we go somewhere else we have darken his room.

[*Natasha*]

In regards to weining the white noise does it have volume control? If so over the next few weeks make it quieter and quieter until you don't have it on at all.

[thoosier]

I totally understand what you are going through. My son, Duncan, will only take naps in a swing with white noise going. I am worried to death that the early days of day care will be a nightmare! I go back to work August 20th (I teach third grade) so I am really trying to come up with a solution.

[mari]

I would speak to yor daycare provider to ask what they can do, perhaps the white noise can go with her. 

[15milner]

Like the idea for turning down the volume of the white noise machine, could you make the room gradually lighter and lighter.  If you have blackout blind, start not pulling it fully down, or leaving an increasingly bigger gap when closing the curtains etc.

Alex

[jamm]

thanks ladies - i will try to gradually make the room lighter....as for the white noise, there is no volume.... 

i will keep you updated!!