Contact napper going to nursery

[Al991]

My 10 month old absolutely will ONLY sleep on me or another caregiver. The pram and cot are totally out during the day, though she’s ok with the cot at night.

I have tried so hard to change this, but if she’s not on me she will invariably wake up after exactly half an hour. Every. Time. She then won’t go back to sleep and is severely overtired for the entire day.

I don’t really mind a contact nap, but now she’s going to nursery in 2 months and I’m freaking out. I don’t want her to get no sleep, or to be upset and crying when expected to nap independently.

anyone had this problem?

My second at that age would only nap by breastfeeding to sleep. She was very boob/mummy focused, so I did the vast majority of the naps.

But when her dad was doing the nap, she'd fall asleep in the sling.

With grandparents, she'd fall asleep if taken for a walk in the buggy.

When at the childminders, she'd just go to sleep with the others.

It might not seem like it now, but its a different location and a different relationship. They'll sort out their own way of doing it, that will work only for them.

Yes my little boy was the same. But at nursery after a couple of sessions he was fine at going to sleep on his own . He still won’t sleep in his cot at home for a nap but does at night which I don’t get but it’s fine he just naps on our bed

Well this is certainly what I like to hear 😂 hope you’re right!!!

DD was a contact napper, at her nursery they held her to start with but she quite quickly settled to sleeping with the other children. They had floor mats and all settled down with their blanket quite happily after a few weeks.

When you aren’t there it is amazing what they will do! It will be fine.

DD was still breastfeeding at night and did so until 26 months despite starting nursery at 13 months.

Both my children breastfed to sleep on me and contact napped at home. At nursery it was fine. My eldest used to nap when she fancied on cushions in the corner of the room but my youngest napped when they told him too!

All babies have to adjust to a different sleep environment at nursery. Even if they sleep in the cot in a silent pitch black room they’re not going to get that at nursery because other kids will make noise, they’ll have dim lights, there will probably be floor mats, staff will be moving around etc. So don’t overthink it. It’s part of the settling period and it’ll be fine.

I had 2 contact nappers….both went to nursery and slept there without any issue. Like a PP said children do adjust to the different environment and I really would try as much as you can not to worry about it.

My little boy would only contact nap at that age and I was really worried that he just wouldn’t sleep at nursery and get over tired and it would be really bad for him. His first morning session he slept for two hours - apparently they had just popped him in the bouncy chair after his milk and he just fell asleep all on his own when they weren’t even trying to get him to nap! 🤨😂 he would still only contact nap at home, I think they just adapt to the environment and if you’re not there they can’t demand a cuddle to get to sleep!

Nursery worker here - she’ll be fine! We get this lots. Some children behave completely differently to the way they would at home so you’ll probably find she sleeps okay there.
Someone is always in the room at sleep times so at a minimum a staff member could be next to her and could at least have their hand on her back for example, just so she feels someone is there.
We can get 12 babies to sleep in less then 10 minutes, we’ve got you x

It's amazing isn't it how they adjust. Many years ago now I was in a baby room the majority were aged 1 and up. After lunch they used to line up get their dummy go lie down on a bed and sleep. by themselves I was totally gobsmacked watching it

Our nursery did contact naps, followed exactly as we did at home. Speak to them ☺️

Yeah honestly, they play up for parents and act totally differently amongst their peers.

I had sleepless nights over my daughter napping at nursery. She wasn’t a contact napper but would only sleep in a pitch black room with a noise machine in her sleeping bag - complete opposite to the nursery environment.
Nurseries have a magic way of getting kids to sleep! Took a week and she was sleeping her usual 2 hours every time she was there. So I worried over nothing! They’ll figure it out, babies seem to adapt to their surroundings accordingly in due time.

i had a contact only napper and co sleeper. The first time I viewed her nursery the baby room was just the workers sat on the floor cuddling babies and rocking them to sleep. It was lovely!
DD didnt need any help at all, she went to sleep for them. Don’t ask me how. They are just sleep magicians!!!

she still contact napped with me until she dropped them!

Yes. Still only contact naps at home. Naps like a dream at nursery though. I can't actually believe it but it's true. Also eats things that wouldn't be touched at home. Please don't lose sleep worrying like I did.

Full contact or car napper here, started nursery at 1 year (now 19 months). Didn't change anything before he started. First 2 weeks of naps were crap at nursery, and he dropped to a single nap so very overtired - then it just clicked and he now sleeps 2 hours there. He still won't let me transfer him so we're still contact napping haha (and tbh, I love my siesta)

A friend of mines daughter was a contact napper, sh would wake up the moment she was laid down.

She had severe anxiety about her starting nursery, asked if they would let her contact nap but was out of the question really.

Anyhow, her daughter took to it like a duck to water and she slept completely fine for the nursery, they would just pop her down and she would fall asleep, still wouldn't do it for her mum on her days off though.

DD was a contact napper until 10mo then suddenly decided the cot was fine, but still needed to be fed/rocked/cuddled to sleep and held for a bit before transfer.

Took herself off for naps at nursery and was sleeping for 2hr stints! You can see her zonked out in the background of some photos.

Interestingly her key worker babysat for us and I explained her bedtime routine but said to feel free to do whatever works for her. DD fell asleep in her arms, on a bottle, so it was obviously more location than person for her.

Both my dc’s were contact nappers but when they went to nursery they would sleep independently, nursery staff have some secret magic for getting young children to sleep. At nursery my ds sleeps for 2 hours at home he sleeps for 45 minutes.

It’s honestly amazing how they adjust, my son has to fall asleep on one of us and then can be transferred to the cot but at the childminders he falls asleep on his own and he won’t do that for us! They honestly adapt so well it’s baffling but please don’t stress because it will most likely work out fine

Babies and children like to fool us, the things they do (and eat!) in a different setting as opposed to at home astound me.

DD was a contact napper but she did just fine when she started nursery at 13 months.

She had a teddy she snuggled with and they settled her with a blanket with the other kids and one of the workers would gently stroke her back until she settled. Eventually she didn't need the stroking.

Nursery are frankly magic when it comes to kids and naps.

Ours even had a couple of big old fashioned prams they could push babies back and forth in if they needed it!

This makes me feel so much better. In exactly the same situation and was dreading the drop off! Thanks for posting x

Don’t panic.

both of mine were only contact nappers - a few sessions with their childminders and they were perfect. Slept like a dream at childcare and for other family.

theyre very often different at home vs at a childcare setting or with others.

They will find a way to get her to nap, they will have taken on plenty of contact nappers, ones than only nap in a moving car (DD2), ones that only nap when breastfed down (DD1) etc. They don't want an over tired cranky baby either, they want them to all nap at once and they are experts. Both of mine napped well in childcare, one still does after stopping naps at home.