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How the hell will 10 mo DS nap at nursery? Help please!

12 replies

CyrilSneers · 12/05/2013 11:49

DS has been an awful sleeper, day and night, since the 4 month sleep regression which so far has lasted more than 6 months Confused
I have come to accept that he is not going to be a good sleeper any time soon, but he starts nursery in a week's time and I have no idea how on earth he is going to nap there. I've given up fighting for sleeps in the cot, so 9 times out of 10 he naps in the sling or with me rocking him, singing etc for around half an hour, then laying him in the bed. Hell will freeze over before he could be laid down drowsy in a cot to sleep.
The nursery workers aren't going to have the time I do to dedicate to getting him to sleep and I'm so worried that he's going to be beside himself with tiredness when he's already going to struggle as separation anxiety has kicked in big time.
I've tried but failed to get him into a routine with naps and obviously it is now to late to fix this 'problem'. Has anyone had experience of a DC of a similar age starting nursery who is reliant on them for naps? Am already beside myself with worry and guilt that he's so unprepared for life without me Sad

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AndMiffyWentToSleep · 12/05/2013 11:54

Mine started nursery around that age and was exactly the same. But you know what? Nursery could get him to sleep in ways I still can't couldn't. They started rocking him back and forth in a buggy for naps but now he lies down in the cot. Neither would work for me!

So don't sweat it - they're used to kids that are troublesome nappers!

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CajaDeLaMemoria · 12/05/2013 11:55

Will he be gently rocked to sleep in one of those bouncy chairs?

It might be worth practising. That's what we did for children under 1.5 who wouldn't be laid down - they'd get half an hours gentle bouncing in a dark, quiet room, and then we'd have to give up.

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PrincessOfChina · 12/05/2013 11:58

DD started nursery at that age and before then would only ever nap on me or in the pushchair/car. I never got anything done alth

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dizzy77 · 12/05/2013 11:59

Talk to the nursery about it. I'm still amazed at what they can do wrt getting the tinies off for naps: I had one of my show rounds at nap time and if i hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't believe it.

DS's nursery baby room put most children to sleep in beanbags at quiet time, with DS they started him in the quiet room (with a couple of cots) as he hadnt settled into regular daytime naps at the point he started there at 11mo either. There was a bit of a transition (and I had to adjust to him being v grumpy and overtired when he got home for a few weeks) but he did settle into it and have a couple of hours sleep each day. He's still bushed on nursery days so we make sure we have a wind down find at home (with extra food) which helps him settle better.

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PrincessOfChina · 12/05/2013 12:01

Agh, posted too soon. What I was going on go say was she was a good sleeper at night.

Once at nursery she just fell into their routine, and even naps at lunchtime at home now in her bed. It's great!

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libertyflip · 12/05/2013 12:04

Don't worry, he'll be fine. i worked for years and years in baby rooms and it just sort of happens. If not, they will rock him in a buggy...always always always works!

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notcitrus · 12/05/2013 12:05

Nursery have both magic powers and peer pressure. Ds was the most anti-routine child ever yet slept at nursery fine, though not at the same time as the others for months.

Dd was a bit better, but I left nursery to introduce a routine and now she naps perfectly for them and goes to sleep at night. Not so well in the day for me unless she's in the buggy, but at least I have my evenings back!

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Lamazeroo · 12/05/2013 12:09

My DS is 19 months and breastfeeds to sleep. He's just starting one session a week at nursery. I've been so worried about how he'll sleep there but all the staff are completely relaxed about it and assure me they've had plenty of similar children in the past. They're happy to sing and rock to sleep, put them down on beanbags, sofas etc and tell me they have children who are nightmare sleepers at home but happily go into a cot at nursery.

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louloutheshamed · 12/05/2013 12:37

My ds was exactly the same, he started nursery at 11.5 mo and I never believed that he would sleep, but he did. When he started I was about to write on the forms what songs etc they had to sing to get him to go to sleep, and my friend stopped me- she said they would find their own way and my songs would be special just for us and she was right. Don't worry, it's amazing what they will do for others!

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spiffysquiffyspiggy · 12/05/2013 13:18

Ds1 was an awful sleeper who started nursery at 6 months but they persevered and got him to nap about 7 times out of 10. In the end it was a dog bed that did the trick. Hmm it was warm and cosy and the Nursery nurses would curl up next to him till he dropped off. Eventually he'd take himself off to his 'bed' when he got tired. The nursery will spend time to get him to sleep, after all it gives them a break as well Grin

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sanam2010 · 12/05/2013 13:23

Don't worry he'll sleep! They might rock him to sleep or he might go down in a cot alone when he sees all the other kids doing it. Peer pressure
works wonders. I never understood how my DD would just sleep there, but bc it's part of the routine and all kids do it, it's no problem.
Maybe he'll just sleep less bc he wants to play (and maybe that's what he wanted at home all along) and they usualy just let them, and then they're so tired they want to sleep. Don't worry!

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Mannequinkate · 12/05/2013 13:30

Nursery staff have magic powers! They can and do work miracles.

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