Child Not Napping At Daycare? Follow These Tips
ShareOne concern you may have about your infant going to daycare is if they are getting enough sleep. Sleeping in an open room with many kids can be quite the change for an infant, and it is easy for them to miss some naps. Here are some tips that will help them get to sleep.
Follow The Same Nap Schedule
The first thing you should do is figure out the exact schedule that your daycare uses for naps. Do not assume that they will be sticking to your personal schedule since it is common for all kids that are the same age to be put down for a nap at the same time.
Once you know the daycare nap schedule, try to stick to the same schedule at home on the weekend. You may be tempted to push your child's nap a little later to get your errands done, but not having a consistent schedule could impact if they sleep when they go back to daycare on Monday.
Purchase A Portable Sound Machine
The sounds of the daycare may be what is interfering with your child's sleep. With the sounds of other kids crying or playing, it can keep your child awake when they should be napping. You can try using a portable sound machine that will sit in their crib while they are taking a nap. These are powered by batteries rather than cords, so you don't have to worry about the safety of your child in a crib with something that has a wire on it.
The idea behind a sound machine is to create a noise floor that is louder than the surrounding sounds. If the sound not as loud as the white noise that the sound machine produces, it won't be loud enough to wake your child while they are sleeping. This can help drown out a lot of the small sounds in a daycare that will keep a child awake instead of allowing them to sleep.
Bring A Stuffed Animal
Does your child have a favorite stuffed animal at home that helps them sleep? Consider bringing it to daycare with them, or buying a duplicate that you can leave at daycare, so it is not forgotten. Having a comfort stuffed animal can help soothe your child at nap time, which will hopefully help them with napping in an unfamiliar place.
For more times on how to help your child nap, speak with a company like Kidstown Drop-In Child Care Center.