How to get 9 month old baby to sleep in child care centre?

Question

My 9 month old daughter is a great sleeper at home. She has two sleeps a day for about 2 hours at a time. She sleeps approx. 12 hours during the night. When she's at child care she just won't sleep despite the child care workers following the routine she has at home. Does anyone know of a technique I can ask the child care workers to try to help her sleep at child care? Did your baby experience this and was your baby eventually able to sleep in child care?

Answer 1

What have the child care workers tried with her?

I'm Ohio certified as a daycare/pre-school teacher and when I worked at the daycare center I worked with 18 months to 2 year olds.  Once a while i would work in the baby room if needed.  I use to have this lil one that refused to lay down.  Then she started to get sneaky and lay down and pretend to sleep and as soon as i stood up and walked away she would be up and running around at nap time.  A lot of the kids would just go str8 to sleep but she was always the difficult one.  I finally found a way to get her to sleep.  

i had to make sure her nap area was away from toys that would get her attention and i would sit down with her and cover her up and pat her back for a while and rub it and even gently rub her face and forhead and she would finally go to sleep.  Once she went to sleep...she was always the LAST one to wake up from nap time.  Her mom couldn't believe we got her asleep because she would never take naps at home.

also at nap time we would play a sleep time cd.  Also...does she take a blanket that she is familiar with from home?  A lot of kids would bring a blanket and/or stuff animal that they are familiar with that will help them go to sleep.  Maybe you could get her to sleep with something at home and have her take it with her at the day care center so when it's given to her for nap time she knows its time to sleep.

Answer 2

if she refuses to sleep, no one can make her sleep. maybe there is too much going around her and she doesnt want to sleep. you may find she may just be ready to drop a nap. if not, tell them to take her a walk round the block in the fresh air away from all the action.

Answer 3

at home its probably just you and your baby and maybe your partner but at day-care there are new people new noises other kids everything that seems to good to miss out on by sleeping

if she was really tired she would fall asleep otherwise i wouls just tell the daycare to try to get her to sleep using the same routine as at home but if she isnt asleep after say half an hour let her play

its only 2 days a week and you may find the longer she is at childcare the more used to things she will get and sleeping will become part of the routin at home too

i have the opposite problem my daughter doesnt nap at home but she does at daycare  

Answer 4

The sleeping routine from home needs to be transferred to the center as much as possible. The center should be there to meet your needs- so make it clear to them what you need.

Also, an article of clothing which (funny as it sounds) smells of you will help a lot. You can place this in the sleeping place of your child, or use it as a wrap. It will make your child feel comforted, sensing your presence.  

Answer 5

your daughter sleeps 2 hour at a day time and 12 hours during night that makes 14 hours. I think this is enough sleep for a baby. Do not force him to sleep.