Navigating Infant Nursery Life: Sleep Transitions
As a parent, you strive to ensure your baby gets enough sleep. It’s normal for infants to experience a sleep regression when starting daycare, but navigating this transition can be challenging. At The Little Red Barn, we’re committed to making this transition as smooth as possible, providing ample communication to guide you and your child through sleep regression.
What to Expect During Regression:
Most infants adjust to a nursery routine within a few weeks. During this time, you may notice changes in your child’s sleep schedule:
- shorter napping at school
- shorter napping at home
- less sleeping at nighttime
But do not fret, this is completely normal and even developmentally appropriate!
Why Does This Happen?
Several factors contribute to sleep regression in daycare. It’s common for infants in a classroom to nap at different times, as it’s rare for all the infants to nap at the same time. In most nursery settings, there are rules put in place to limit the amount of time that the lights are off during children’s awake hours for safety reasons, therefore this can disrupt babies’ sleep, especially if they’re accustomed to sleeping in a dark, quiet room at home. Other accommodations, such as holding or rocking a child, may also be hindered due to room capacity which can affect sleep duration.
How Can You Help?
Here are some strategies to help your child adjust to life in a nursery and make these changes easier at home:
- Communicate with your child’s teacher(s): This will help them understand your infant’s routines and any accommodations they may need.
- Sharing your child’s sleepy cues and optimal wake windows with teachers is crucial for a successful sleep experience. While it may not always work, it’s essential for teachers to recognize your child’s prime sleepy time to avoid putting them down before they’re tired or overtired.
- Create a consistent sleep schedule at home to implement at school: Maintain a sleep environment similar to school. This will make mimicking their home routine a lot easier!
- Using appropriate sleeping attire: In a daycare that adheres to safe sleep protocols, the only items your child will have in their crib are a sleep sack (unweighted), a pacifier, and a fitted sheet! Creating a consistent sleep environment at home, similar to the one at school, is an ideal way for infants to acclimate to a new space.
- Offer comfort without reinforcing awake time: Hold or rock your child gently, but encourage independent sleep (giving them chances to self-soothe).
- Infants’ naps may become shorter in a nursery setting. Understanding how to manage this is vital for teachers to provide the best possible care, whether it’s gently patting your child back to sleep or extending their nap time a few minutes after waking up.
- Be Patient and Understanding: Recognize that this transition may take time, and be patient with your child’s adjustments. Remember to give yourself grace as well! It can take a few weeks for an infant to adjust to large group care, and in some cases longer especially if your child attends part time.
By implementing these strategies, you can help your child adjust to nursery life and ensure they get as much sleep as possible.
How WE can help:
At The Little Red Barn, we are dedicated to making your child’s daily experience as comfortable as possible! We are committed to working with you in any way we can to ensure your child’s needs are met and we understand that consistency and open communication are essential for a successful transition.