How To Navigate Sleep Training With A Child In Daycare

One the biggest challenges that you’ll face while teaching your little one independent sleep skills starts when you have to put them in someone in daycare and else’s hands for the day.

While combining sleep training and daycare can be tough, it does not mean a child attending daycare cannot learn independent sleep skills. Most likely you’ve powered through some tough nights that tested your willpower, and now that everything is running smoothly, it naturally will feel hard to put your trust in someone else to keep things
in order.

Personally, when sending both my boys to daycare I was a bit worried. I knew that they had such a solid schedule at home, and was nervous to rock the boat a few days a week when I knew that there were other babies to watch and schedules to follow.

And honestly, they didn't sleep the best at daycare at the beginning. But they had the sleep skills to recover overnight and makeup for lost sleep at daycare during their days at home.

But there is good news! Good sleep at daycare is absolutely achievable. Sending your little one to daycare is not going to sabotage their sleep so long as you take the time to talk consistently with your daycare provider, and I’ve got some tips below to help you do that in a way that will make this as easy and conflict-free as possible.

Have you already decided on your daycare provider? If not, then keep reading. If so, you can skip down to the next section.

Choosing a Daycare Provider

When deciding on a daycare provider, there are a couple of things to keep in mind around your little ones sleep. 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 the children down at a specific time? Do they allow individual nap times or is it the whole class together for a specified duration?

Ask to see where your little one will be sleeping. Is it a fully-lit room with several other kids or a semi-private space where they can keep things dark? Can you bring your own white noise machine if they don't have one? (It can be super helpful to provide the same white noise that baby’s accustomed to at home to filter out some of the classroom noise!)  Are they capable of accommodating specific requests in regards to baby’s naps? (i.e. Will they allow your baby to cry for a few minutes, will they hold off on offering sleep props if you ask them to?)

Communicating with Baby’s Daycare Provider

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

Let them know how long you’re comfortable with having your little one fuss. Most care providers will default to a no-crying approach unless instructed otherwise. Ask them to avoid sleep props - such as rocking to sleep, holding a pacifier in or feeding a child to sleep. Be specific about what you consider a sleep prop nd any that you may have worked to wean away. Ask that they refrain from using pacifiers, rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep, or whatever you’ve established as methods to get baby sleeping that you think they might become dependent on.

However, be respectful of their limitations. Daycare providers are looking after a lot of kids at once and are often required to follow some overarching safety rules, so don’t be surprised if they can’t accommodate some requests you throw their way. Keeping an eye on several children at the same time usually means no white noise machines and no dark rooms.

Above all, maintain open communication. Let your daycare provider know that you’ve been working on your baby’s sleep issues and where you’re at with the process. 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!

Tips While Transitioning to Daycare

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

Tip #1

If you haven’t started sleep training yet, start 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 your little one is likely to be a little throw off for the first 48 hours. It’s best to get at least three or four nights in before going to daycare.

Tip #2

Don’t “ease in” to your new situation. Once you’re ready to start sending your little one to daycare, start off with the same schedule you want to end up at. If they’ll be going every weekday, send them every weekday right off the jump, always waking them around the same time each morning. Don’t send them for a day the first week, two days the next, and so on if you can help it. They will adjust quicker and easier this way in the end.

Babies are capable of distinguishing between different environments. Habits they learn at daycare won’t always transfer over to sleep in the home. So if your daycare provider allows them a pacifier or rocks to sleep, it is not the end of the world. Your little one should still be able to understand that it’s not the same when they’re at home. Different schedules at home and daycare are OK. It’s not the end of the world if their nap schedule at daycare doesn’t sync up with the one they have at home. It’s a definite bonus if you can make it work, but it’s not essential.

Tip #3

If your little one starts falling asleep on the ride home, do your best to keep them awake. Have some fun toys just for car rides, roll the windows up and down, anything you can think of! It’s better to do an early bedtime than offer a catnap after 4:00 PM. If they do fall asleep, wake them up when you get home and let them get some more awake time before bed.

Sleep Training and Daycare Doesn't Have to Feel Impossible

Most of all, there is 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 just as much interest in your little one being as happy and well rested as you do, and they obviously want to keep baby’s parents happy too. Maintain consistent communication, be respectful and patient, and accept that they can’t always tailor things to each child as much as they would like to.

Keep up your bedtime routine, stick to your schedule as closely as possible, be mindful of sleep props, and things will fall into place! If you are needing any assistance, lets chat!