What To Do About Daycare

Combining sleep training and daycare can be tough, I won’t lie.  You are working or have worked hard to get this baby sleeping well and now you have to leave things in someone else’s hands!  Good news though, this is absolutely achievable. If you take the time to work with your provider and use these tips to help you do that in a way that will make it as tension-free as possible, you’ll be golden.

So... first of all, have you already decided on your daycare provider? If not, then keep reading. If so, you can skip down to the next section.

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CHOOSING A DAYCARE PROVIDER

When you’re deciding on a daycare provider, here are a couple of sleep-centered things to keep in mind. None of these are deal-breakers, they’re just a few things to consider.

Ask them what their approach is to naps. Do they put all kids down at a specific time for a specific duration? (This is really difficult for babies under 1 year old.)  Or do they allow kids individual nap times?

Ask to see where they’ll be sleeping. Is it a fully-lit room with several other kids or a semi-private space where they can keep things a little darker?

Can you bring your own white noise machine? It can be super helpful to provide the same white noise machine that baby’s accustomed to at home.

Are they capable of accommodating specific requests in regards to baby’s naps as far as how they should be put down?

COMMUNICATING WITH BABY’S CAREGIVER

So, once you’ve decided on a daycare provider, or if you already have your little one in a place you’re happy with, what can we do to ensure everybody’s pulling in the same direction on this sleep issue?

First off let them know what you’ve been through regarding your baby’s sleep.  Tell them how challenging it has been and how the sleep deprivation has been affecting you.  Let them know you are working on making changes at home and that you would so appreciate their help in keeping things going in the right direction.

Let them know how long you’re comfortable with baby fussing. Most care providers will default to a no-crying approach unless instructed otherwise. Ask them to avoid sleep crutches you’ve already eliminated.Be specific about what you consider a sleep crutch.

Let them know what schedule your baby is on at home.  Let them know what time you’d prefer your baby goes down for sleep and what time you prefer they be fed and see if they can accommodate or make any compromises.

Let them know what environment your baby is accustomed to at home and see if there is anything they can do to mimic it.  

Be respectful of their limitations though. Daycare providers are looking after a lot of kids at once and are often required to follow some safety rules, so don’t be surprised if they can’t accommodate every request you throw their way.

Above all, maintain open communication. Ask them to provide you with a report of what times your baby slept that day.  This will help you plan out your evening and know what time to put your baby to bed! Remember that they want your little one sleeping well almost as much as you do. A well-rested baby who goes down for naps without a lot of fuss is a daycare provider’s dream come true.  

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A FEW RANDOM TIPS

Regardless of the particulars of your baby’s situation with their sleep in their home away from home, here are a few tips that are likely to come in handy...

If you haven’t started sleep training yet, start on a Friday night, or whatever day is farthest away from their next day of daycare.The first couple of nights are usually a bit of a roller coaster and so it’s best to get at least three nights and days in at home before going to daycare.

Babies are usually capable of distinguishing between different environments. Habits they learn at daycare won’t necessarily transfer over to sleep in the home.  So,if your daycare provider does things differently or has a much different sleep environment, baby should still be able to understand that things are one way at daycare and another way at home!

Different schedules at home and daycare can be problematic. It is a definite bonus when schedules can align.  I would really advocate that they follow your schedule if at all possible!  If they can’t,then you may have to go with their schedule and adopt that schedule for at home too and see how your baby handles it. They may do better than expected! If your baby is a year old, then the typical nap at lunch time usually works out just fine!  It is those younger babies that are less flexible.

If baby starts falling asleep on the ride home, this may be just fine- it depends on their age. If they are 6 months or under, a little cat nap on the way home should be fine. Just be sure to wake them up as soon as you get home so they can have some good wake time before bed.  But if they are over about 7 months old then they will need a good few hours awake before bedtime and you will need to do everything in your power to keep them awake on the way home!

All in all, there’s no reason why daycare and sleep training can’t work together. Just keep in mind that your daycare providers are your allies in this mission. They have a vested interest in your little one being as happy and well rested as possible, and they obviously want to keep baby’s parents happy too. Maintain open lines of dialog, be respectful and patient,and accept that they can’t always tailor things to each individual child as much as they would like to. Keep up your bedtime routine, stick to your schedule as closely as possible, keep baby away from those sleep crutches, and things will fall into place, I assure you!

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