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?

Mine would sleep in the pram, but otherwise would absolutely not ever fall asleep in the cot on his own. He didn't do that until he was 2.5...

But he slept at nursery absolutely fine. He started at 11 months, so at first they would cuddle him and then lay him down on a mat in the room (I think the ambient noise helps), and then as he got older/toddler age he just took himself off to sleep with the others in their little coracles. Age 1.5 to 2.5 he'd do a good couple of hours' nap at nursery.

They are often very different at nursery to at home!

Another one to add to the other posters who are saying it’ll be fine. My little boy was a contact napper at home but nursery managed to get him in the cot by day 2 and then he slept in the cot at home too from then on

My daughter was the same, I held her for every nap until she was 1. I was then going back to work and panicked.
what I did to help her sleep on her own was lie on the bed with her for a nap, id rock her like I usually would do and then lay down with her for the whole nap. After about 2 weeks of this I would get up and leave after about 10 mins/ she was fast asleep and then she’d nap on her own for 1-5/2 hours. At the childminders I told them if they put her down and she cried then to get her back up again as I hated the thought of her crying, but she napped for them! Children often are different with different people.

My son was like this, although he would sleep in the car or pram if they were moving out and about. I was so shocked that he had no problem at all napping in the cots at nursery!

My toddler only slept for 30 minutes at a time during the day either in her pram or in sling. Never in the cot. However nursery now get her to sleep in a cot for 1.5-2hrs! Nursery are pros at this and will have loads of experience with difficult nappers your LO will be fine x

Nursery are magic at getting them to sleep! Honestly, I’ve got 3, all have needed cuddles to sleep etc and they have got them to lay down and go to sleep, possibly with assistance. I know it’s hard not to worry, but they’re SO tired by nap time that they do tend to just sleep!

My DD was exactly the same. She just laid down with the other kids on their little beds from day 1 no issues.

She naps at nursery still but rarely has one at home.

Don't worry!

30 mins is a totally normal nap length at that age. Stick with trying the non contact naps when you can. As they get older and the number of naps drop, the duration increases. Good luck!

Honestly, she completely loses her shit if she gets less than an hour.

really appreciate the comments hopefully the nursery can work their magic then and maybe she’ll go down at home too!