There’s a lot we can do to help our little ones smoothly transition to daycare, especially when it comes to maintaining their sleep routines. When searching for a daycare, it’s essential to assess whether their policies align with your family's priorities. Be sure to ask whether they understand and follow the philosophy around sleep—this includes their approach to nap schedules, ideal sleep space and environment, especially if your little one is already sleep-trained.

When transitioning your little one to daycare, rest assured that sleep and daycare can coexist smoothly with a little planning and communication. By following these tips, you can ensure that your baby’s nap routine continues to thrive, even in a daycare setting:

✨ Share an Age-Appropriate Nap Schedule
Start by providing your daycare provider with your child's nap schedule based on their age and sleep needs. It helps create consistency between daycare and home, giving your baby the rest they need throughout the day.

✨ Encourage Naps Any Way They Can
Daycare providers often use rocking, patting, or bouncing to get babies to nap, and that’s okay! You don’t want an overtired child by bedtime, so make sure they're getting some rest during the day. Let them fill your child’s “sleep tank” for you, even if the method is different from what you use at home.

✨ Maximize Naps on Weekends
When you’re at home, take advantage of the comfort of your environment and make sure your child is getting solid, restful naps on weekends. This helps balance any missed or shorter naps during the week at daycare.

✨ Communicate Your Child’s Sleep Accomplishments
Let the daycare staff know how well your baby is sleeping at night and how well they nap on the weekends. Share any success you’ve had with a particular schedule and ask if they can try to maintain similar nap windows while at daycare. Share what you know about sleep science and how good naps contribute to better nighttime sleep.

✨ Additional Tips for Daycare Success

• To ease the transition, begin daycare on a Monday morning, so your child can have as many consecutive full days as possible. This will help them adjust to the new routine more quickly.

• Ask if your provider can put your baby down for naps a few minutes before the other children are brought in. This may help them settle in before the noise picks up.

• Consider bringing a white noise machine or sound screen for the nap area to block out any disruptive sounds, some preschools play naptime music to help minimized disruptive sounds.

• Always ask for a nap report at pick-up—knowing when and how long your baby napped can help you adjust your evening routine accordingly. If their "sleep tank" is low, a quick car nap or an early bedtime can help bridge the gap.

While daycares may be limited in how they handle your child’s sleep, you can still ask specific questions about their flexibility with schedules, their understanding of sleep windows, and how they create a calm, sleep-friendly environment. Most daycare providers are happy to help support you, especially when you communicate openly and work together. Let them "do their thing" while also communicating your instructions and preferences. It is important to find a middle ground, where both you and the daycare team are working in harmony to meet your child's sleep needs.

With these tips, you'll be setting your baby up for sleep success, both at daycare and at home. Daycare and sleep can absolutely go hand in hand, especially when both you and the daycare staff are on the same page. Remember to be open, flexible, and patient as your little one adjusts to this new phase!

Good luck! 🌟

Carolina Flannery