Daycare naps?

[Yazzie]

We have plans to have ds start day care next month, he'll be around 20 months old. We've reached a pretty nice routine that looks something like this:
wake up : 08.00 AM
Nap : 03.00-05.00
Bedtime : 09.00~09.30

I know our bedtime is rather late, but it works as the moment, as dh and I get back from work ard 07ish and it gives us sometime with out little guy. I'm now facing 2 issues:
1- When looking at day care centers, there ones that enforce a mid-day nap for all kids, while others that have a nap room if a child wants to sleep. While the first might ensure a nap, it would only by 1 hrs, I don't think ds is ready for that yet!...and I'm worried that if I go for the other type they might not really put him down for a nap:(
2- The other issue is that as we're doing a very long first A and a lot shorter second A, I think this will have to be adjusted and we will also be doing a day that's more 07.00~07.00 or 08.00, rather than 08.00-09.00ish as is the case now.

Any advice/thoughts? And do lo(s) REALLY sleep at daycare? 

[anna*]

Some kids sleep AMAZINGLY well at daycare. Stan was always a bit hit and miss but would usually have 'enough' sleep. If he did a 7-8 routine that could work out, he may be tired enough for an earlier nap as daycare will be more stimulating than home. So he could do a 1-3pm nap and still be ready for bed at 8?

Unfortunately with these things there's really no way to predict how they're going to go or what will be for the best.

[Tweakster]

And do lo(s) REALLY sleep at daycare?

Typically, yes :-)

And what Anna said.

Finn has similar in that he's long morning A shorter PM A and is always ready for bed by bedtime.  Tonight he was even asking for it apparently lol  So sometimes their natural rhythms help out in that respect.

[Yazzie]

Thanks for the feedback girls:)

I have to ask, do your lo(s) have group sleep or have you requested that the day care out them down at certain times? Also, if A were to get just an hour of sleep at day care, do you think I'd need to workout a CN in the afternoon? It would just feel like a relapse kwim?

[*Jo*]

I was super surprised Caleb slept at daycare, we only started 3 weeks ago but he slept the first day he was there. I have told them to put him down at 1pm and when they do he sleeps 1.5 hours, when they put him down earlier (like today grr) at 12.30 he only sleeps 45mins and I told them he will short nap if you put him down any earlier. When I told them that he will sleep longer at the later time they looked pleasantly surprised (because this means more time sleeping for him and less time for them having to entertain/occupy him) and made another note of it.

Perhaps you can discuss your routine with them, our daycare tries to fit in with the childs routine as much as possible, encouraging us to write down what we do so they can imitate it at the daycare.

When Caleb does a short nap we dont do a Cn, it just wouldnt work, we just reduce bedtime by about 30mins, mind you he only goes 2 days a week, not everyday so he does have the chance to catch up the next day if needs be

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

do your lo(s) have group sleep or have you requested that the day care out them down at certain times?

When they were small we did certain times and tried to adapt to her home routine, but that is hard for them as someone has to be in the room with them, even sleeping. Spencer quit napping at daycare months ago, but up until that she was a good sleeper there, now she has a rest for 45 min in a cot (they tell me she just plays with her blanky) and goes to bed a bit early (which I think is the reason for no naps, she will easily make it up by going down early and sleeping in...which is nice on days I don't work!)

[Tweakster]

They sleep in one big room on little cots that look like a stretcher you would see in a hospital lol  They do lunch, then diapering/toileting with 20 kids which takes time and then they have to go get blanky and go to their cot and then sleep.

I never ever thought Finn would do it...considering we've always had him in his room, crib, dark with white noise for naps up until 12 mths of age.  But he did/does.  Every day.  He's not missed a nap yet.  Sometimes he wakes early but they tell me it's because of other kids and not because of him.  I had a post on the board recently that he's actually one of their best independent sleepers :-)

[*Jo*]

Does Finn still need it dark etc at home? Or has that changed with daycare?

[Tweakster]

It's changed actually but we are too scared to fully go with it lol   We leave it dark.  But he can sleep with it light, with his door open etc.  We're just paranoid because we fought for his naps for so long.  We actually find ourselves whispering lol

Now at night he has the Gro-clock which is very bright.  He's even slept through the sun before.  He even fell asleep sitting up leaning on my mom recently lol

So I'm not sure light is a big factor for him anymore, but we still have a blackout blind AND curtains lol  Oh and white noise in the form of an air cleaner...but really that's more for the allergy aspect.