8 Ways To Survive Baby Sleep At Daycare
The first thing that most parents do after dropping their babies off at daycare is go home, turn on the TV and cry their eyes out. The tears are streaming partly because they’ve dropped their baby off with almost-strangers and partly because they’re so nervous their baby won’t sleep.
But I've got some great news for you — there are ways to survive your baby's sleep during the transition to daycare
I will be honest with you, it’s not always the smoothest transition. I can’t blame our little ones for finding it tricky. Not only are there new faces, new toys, and new scents. In terms of sleep there’s new ways of being put to sleep, there’s new sounds, new sheets, new cribs or no cribs at all, and weirdest of all - there’s typically other children in the same room. I think we’d all find this more than a little tricky.
So let’s relieve that burden. Here are my top tips to reduce the anxiety around sleep when starting daycare:
Test the waters
Introduce your child to daycare. Many daycares even offer orientation time. This is a small step towards accustoming your child to the environment - you can also try to put them to sleep during an orientation. Once the official first day comes around, you can also opt for half days. This will ensure they’re not too exhausted when they come home in the evening. You may even be able to squeeze in an additional nap if they didn’t sleep at all.
BRING SOMETHING FROM HOME
To make sleep time feel more homely, bring along their comforters, sleep sacks, pyjamas, loveys or even your t-shirt (so they can smell you!) to daycare. Although they seem small, these things can have a large impact as your daycare can perform some of your sleep habits and bedtime routines.
pack enough clothes
Daycares can be air-conditioned and their child needs an extra layer (or two!) to sleep in. Ensure you have an appropriately TOG-rated sleep suit for young babies or a long-sleeve shirt handy for toddlers. It can be the difference between a 20-minute and 1-hour long nap.
chat to their educators
Many educators will aim to follow a sleep schedule that works for you, but it won’t always go as planned. In the post-daycare discussions, you can learn what problems your baby's caregivers had when putting them to sleep or waking them up. I look at this as extra data to support your child’s sleep. During this time you can collaborate on solutions - maybe they’ll offer an extra bottle during the day, maybe you’ll drop your little one off 15 minutes earlier so they have more time to play before their nap. They’re also mini-experts on sleep as they've assisted many babies with sleep in their time, so they can be a wealth of knowledge.
accept the routine might be different
I see a lot of babies who have totally different routines on daycare days and this can make parents freak out that this will ruin their at-home sleep. As a baby sleep consultant, I can tell you that two separate structures can work really well for babies. I even see babies who are comfortable dropping a nap significantly earlier than “usual” when at daycare - but maintain it when in the comfort of their own environment. If I could impart chill vibes about their sleeping arrangements through the screen, I would.
opt for an early bedtime
If the chill vibes aren’t reaching you…an early bedtime is your saviour. These are my go-to’s in any period of difficult sleep, but during this time at daycare, your baby is likely extra sleepy from all of the “newness”. An early bedtime prevents overtiredness and overstimulation which can lead to additional wakes in the first half of the night. You can bring bedtime forward as much as they need (in some cases up to an hour!) when they’ve had poor naps or when they seem extra exhausted from playing with their new mates.
if you have the opposite problem…
If your child’s a unicorn and is asleep at the drop of the hat, so they’re sleeping too much at daycare (or if daycare lets them sleep too late), take a detour to the park on the way home or make bedtime later than usual. As a result, their sleep pressure is increased before they sleep overnight.
remember…they’re resilient
Kids shock me all the time. They are so adaptable, and they will come out the other side of this transition into daycare. You’ll find your groove together - it just takes time.
Sending your baby to daycare for the first time can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience for both you, your family and your baby. There may be a few bumps in the road as they get used to napping in this brand-new sleep environment and routine. However, with time they will settle into a consistent routine.
More importantly, with time, you will become confident in how to manage your child’s sleep after daycare. If you need a confidence boost, we’re here to help you with our curated baby sleep packages.