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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Difficult napping at nursery!!!

11 replies

bunnysgirl · 09/04/2008 20:02

I wonder if i could get some advice, my DS is 8 months and has had his 1st full day at nursery on Tuesday. He normally has 3 naps a day total of 2.5hrs a day and sleeps well at night. Well on Tuesday he had a 20min nap and that was it!. Well all hell broke loose Tues night due to severe overtiredness was waking every hr crying til midnight! Now the nursery does have cots and bouncers that the babies sleep in. Please tell me this won't happen every Tues and Thursday! Will be speaking to them in the morning to ensure he gets more sleep. He is a very inquisitive and nosey baby and i can imagine he was very over stimulated therfore was difficult getting him to sleep anyone with similar probs? Im sure he will just have to get used to it!

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offersinwot · 09/04/2008 20:31

I really feel for you. My DS started at a larger style nursery for 1 full day and 1 half day per week when he was 18 months. The naps were an issue as he didn't settle with the carers there. They had sleep mats and had children in one room all on different mats. Some children were better at just getting on with it, but DS found it really tough and 'being up all night' is all too familiar to me.
I think it could be a case of several points that you mention (over excited / stimulation etc). If he sleeps in a cot, perhaps take in his own blanket or a specific sleep time teddy (?) and see if he can have the same carer to make him feel secure.

If the nursery have the same staff and a small number of children, he may settle much quicker. Sometimes the larger estsblishments have a quicker staff turnover which can be unsettling for some children.
Just to say though that I found DS a nursery that was small and established / experienced staff were in, he settled really quickly.

RubySlippers · 09/04/2008 20:34

give it time & i am sure he iwll get used to the new environment

DS always napped less well at nursery - just way to much to do/see. He has been in nursery for

if he woke early they would cuddle/have quiet time

he did used to have 2 - 3 catnaps per day as this suited him and sometimes he would have a catnap before bed just to get him through bath and bedtime ...

did you ask nursery how often he was put down to sleep?

RubySlippers · 09/04/2008 20:35

he has been in nursery for well over a year now - forgot to finish my sentence

Original poster

bunnysgirl · 09/04/2008 20:45

i gave them his routine and his "noo noo" muslin which he sleeps with. It is a small nursery same two ladies and just 2 other babies who are there all the time. I hope ruby your are right it will take time, i just don't really want repeat episodes of hesterics at bedtime, im not very good at the whole CC thing! I wil talk to them tomorrow re quiet time before the nap to get him in the "mood" shall we say.! Wish me luck

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meep · 09/04/2008 20:51

my dd is the same - 9mo and often only has 20mins in total nap time during the day ! It has been getting a bit better (she has been in nursery since end January) and was helped by asking them to use her sleeping bag for nap times. I think she found this a bit more familiar to her home routine. On a nursery night we also have frequent night wakings - I hadn't realised it was due to overtiredness!

Original poster

bunnysgirl · 09/04/2008 20:57

Oh! You mean i have got this for the next 4 months! I go back to work in 3 weeks and have hoped he would be settled by then!

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missorinoco · 09/04/2008 21:16

ds also sleeps much less in nursery. sometimes one hour divided between 2 sleeps. likewise an active curious baby. at home he often has 2 1/2 hours.

it got better, partly because he slept a little better in nursery, and also for ds, as he gets older he tolerates being tired better, and can manage longer before he melts down into an overexhausted overstimulated disaster. (now 10 months old)

i think it will prob also get better as your ds gets used to full days. i don't think it's unreasonable to think it will be better by the time you go back to work.

good luck!

PortAndLemon · 09/04/2008 21:25

If it's any help, my DS alwys slept better in nursery than at home. So you aren't necessarily doomed...

EssieW · 10/04/2008 08:51

yep I've got one of those...

Occasionally he will nap at nursery as he does at home (9-10, then another 1.5 hours around lunchtime).

This week though...he had 20 mins on one day and 2 lots of 30 mins yesterday. This is not unusual for his days at nursery. And they have a separate sleep room, he has his normal toys etc

I'm starting to go with the flow on this one - there's not a lot I can do about it. Mostly his night sleep has been fine though.

Original poster

bunnysgirl · 10/04/2008 20:28

Thank you, DS bit better today at nursery, i spoke to them to try and get him to sleep more, they managed to get him to sleep for just over an hr today so much better than 20 mins!! They said it was a struggle mind! He fell asleep on the way home which helped take the edge off so as he can enjoy bath time. But consequently he has settle soooooo much better tonight(perhaps the lavender bath helped too)he sleeps soundly as i speak.!

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offersinwot · 10/04/2008 20:43

Well done you! The nursery sounds good and although a struggle to get him to sleep - it worked! They take a while to adjust to new environments, but it's looking good.
Fingers crossed for you.

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