Are your little ones at daycare all day, and you pick them up, and they are a mess? This happens to me all the time. Being a certified pediatric sleep consultant, children need sleep, and they need a lot of sleep so that their brains can develop. 

When my little one turned one, our daycare immediately transitioned him to one nap a day because he moved to the next room. Children should still take two naps a day up to 18 months old. This was so hard on our family. I slowly transitioned my son to 1 nap a day when he turned one year old. 

If your child is in daycare, talk to the Director or teachers about letting your little one sleep if that is what they need. If they can’t because of the schedule, you can transition them early but be prepared to let them sleep more on the weekends, or if they are at a daycare part time then on the days they are home, let them sleep more or even take two naps. 

Here are ten tips on conquering the afternoon when your child is not getting the sleep they need at daycare. 

Ten Tips to Conquer Daycare naps

      1. Talk to your child’s teacher and see where your child is sleeping in the room. 

      2. Ask the teacher what music they use and see if they will allow a sound machine near        your child if you think the music is not working. 

      3. Try to stick to the same schedule at home as at daycare so your little one is used to eating and sleeping times. 

      4. Let your little one have a cat nap in the car on the way home to prevent over-tiredness. 

      5. Put your little one to sleep as early as 6:00 pm even if they do not nap at daycare. 

      6. See if you can bring a sleep sack from home 

      7. Try to prep a dinner plate before leaving the house in the morning; that way, all you have to do is heat the food when you get home so the bedtime routine can start earlier. 

      8. Give hugs and love to them when you get home to comfort them; they will be very clingy. 

      9. On the weekend, let your little one sleep and try to stick to their schedule with bedtime and nap time. This will help them catch up on sleep lost during the week. 

     10. If you think your little one needs an extra nap on the weekend, let them. 

If you are still struggling and your little one is not sleeping through the night or taking consistent naps, reach out to www.strugglestocuddles.com or strugglestocuddles@gmail.com for a FREE 15-minute consult. 

Sweetest Dreams,

Meghan