How do nurseries get babies to nap??

[Smittals]

...just a random thought prompted by imminent return to work. DD is 4mths and will nap but it takes split second timing (two hours awake only), then a bit of hand holding + dummy + something for her to nestle the side of her face against. Then we wait with her until she's asleep. Idiots that we are for ending up with such an elaborate method. Do they just resort to CC? I'll contact them after Easter and find out but now I'm reverting to paranoid first timer mindset and need to hear from you lovely MNers - how did you get on?

It depends on the nursery

The one I go to puts them down in beanbags in the same room that everyone plays in (8-10 children in each room) and rubs their tummies until they sleep. If they can, they pick them up and cuddle them to sleep, or they will sleep on their chests (there are big sofas in each room).

They do have a quiet room with cots for parents who prefer that their babies use them, but I have always preferred the sleeping-in-the-room thing because that is the way I do it at home.

It is very much dependent on the nursery but this was really important for me and I changed nurseries because I preferred the flexible approach that my nursery used.

With older babies (12months plus) they have a special quiet time around 1pm and put mats on the floor and the children have their own mat/blanket/toy and the carers sit and pat/stroke two babies at a time. I've never seen any hysterical crying - it seems to work well.

My nursery also gives the dummy-users their dummies when needed of course!

My dd is now just over two but she went to nursery when she was 5 months. We never had too many problems getting her to sleep but some of my other friends have. It seems that once they go they just sort themselves out. Provided the nursery staff are nice the kids settle in and seem to follow the routine. My friends child basically never sleeps. no naps during the day and even when she was tiny she would only sleep in the buggy. At nursery she has a regular hour and half nap and her mum sometimes has to wake her up when she goes to collect her! Still doesn't nap at home though!

I'm sure if you just explain things to the nursery they will be fine and will be happy to reassure you. Hope it goes OK!

We were talking about this the other day - my friend's DS goes straight into his little chair at nursery with his bottle, and just drifts off to sleep. She has the same chair at home, but will be do it there? Will he bugger!

this was an issue for us

ds ALWAYS slept at home, but tended to be put to bed and shout for about 5 mins (so shoot me!) and then sleep

nursery couldn't leave him to shout so would rock him stroke his head etc etc

he therefore didn't sleep

this was one of the things that really put us off nurseries

Smittals, it sounds like your dd will enjoy being cuddled to sleep and I'm sure they'll follow your cues. Good luck!

DS was a nightmare napper at home but went down like a lamb at nursery. They try things like rocking, patting, rubbing, shushing and something seems to work for each one. I don't know how they do it -- possibly the atmosphere of lots of babies all going to sleep has something magical about it.

smittals, i have been wondering about this too. dd has just started nursery and we are trying a longer session to include a nap on tuesday - i'm dreading it but some of these stories have reassured me! my dd is 7 months and rarely naps in the day except in the car or her pushchair. i'm worried that they will leave her to cry in a cot till she falls asleep!. am desperately trying to get her used to napping in her cot over the weekend!

the nursery i use has pushchairs there ready for the children that need them to fall asleep in!

Olivo, the nursery will probably have a policy that they can't leave a baby crying for longer than x minutes when trying to put them to sleep. That time period may be longer than you feel acceptable, but they almost certainly have a policy. At the nursery i use, they won't leave a child crying for longer than 10 minutes when trying to get them to sleep.

FWIW, my ds has always been cuddled to sleep for his nap, usually accompanied by sucking my finger! But at nursery they just noticed when he looked tired, put him in a pushchair and he went right off!

When my Ds's were at nursery they used to sttrip them all down to their vests and put them on these little bean bags, put a lullaby tape on and pat their tummies/ smooth heads.
they used to nap longer there than anywhere.
And they all looked so cute cooched up in their little vests.
(Could never tell which one was mine though at first glance - if early collecting).
They just seeem to have the 'knack'

Slightly different to nursery I know but my childminder always looks at me as if I'm a bit mad when I say ds has always been difficult to get to sleep. When I first used her I was worried as ds was napping very badly then and would take ages for me to get him to sleep.

On day 1 he went to sleep at CM without a sound. CM always says - 'oh no he never cries before sleep. I just give him a cuddle lay him down and tuck him in tight and he always settles down right away'

I am sure she has a fairy in the house who swaps babies or something because ds did NOT do that at home. - sigh!!

Somehow they seem to be better in childcare.

I did take ds for a few settling in sessions in one nursery (was lovely but I decide it was too difficult to get to) and I never heard a baby/child cry for more than the minute or so it took for someone to get them.