Sleep prep for nursery

[LMR25]

My son is starting nursery in january and he will be almost 15 months old.

When hes home he has a morning nap around 10.30 which can be up to 2 hours then another nap around 4. At home I will lay on the bed with him feed him a bottle then usually he will fallasleep after he doesn't feed to sleep. Thos is actually the same for nights too.

He's currently with a child minder and will only have a nap in the morning about 30-45mins and she feedsgim then cuddles him to sleep and puts him on the sofa. There's no dedicated sleep space do gets disturbed easily.

When he starts nursery they have a dedicated sleep room and when he doesn't sleep well hes just very whingey and upset and domt want him like that at nursery.

We have 2 weeks at home over Christmas where I can work on this but really don't know where to start. When hes in his cot he screams wether im in the room or not. When hes actually asleep he rolls around so much too. Hos cot is a spa e saver one from the old house so wondering wether a full s8ze cot would be any help first.

I was thinking for days and nights put him down for his nap in the cot whilst I stay in the room and can comfort him through the bars but it often seems me being there doesn't help atall.

Im also due another baby in May so really want to try and sort this soon.

Any advice?

Don't worry about it and do nothing.

Starting nursery is a big shock and very tiring for children. He'll get tired and sleep!

It may be that he conks out over a bottle, crashes out on a pillow, be cuddled to sleep with a nursery worker, rocked to sleep in a pushchair, or patted to sleep in a cot.

Over time he'll slide toward the typical nursery routine of a single nap after lunch when they do some wizardry that gets dozens of children to all sleep at the same time.

Trying to prep for the change just seems like it would stress you all put needlessly.

He’ll probably have the biggest success sleeping at nursery if his main nap is after lunch as this is when they all tend to sleep together. I think the 30-45 minute morning nap he currently has at the child minders is ideal. Then plan the second nap 2 typically straight after lunch and it should hopefully be the main/long one if 1.5-2 hours. The short first nap in the morning will phase out around 15 months ish anyway so then not the end of the world if he doesn’t have that there.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the sleep environment as nursery is always going to be an adjustment. Also nursery workers are miracle workers!

Nursery is a big shock for children so I would do some prep and minimise some of the upset!

I would definitely shift to one nap after lunch - nursery probably do a 12pm nap.
I would start adding some transition objects now that he can take to nursery for comfort. Could be simply a muslin cloth that you cuddle between you while feeding/cuddling and then leave with him to hold.

As a childminder what I always do to get them sleeping in a cot is cuddle til sleepy but not asleep - then put in the cot and pat/rock. If they get upset pick them up and calm them, then put them down again and pat/rock.
Keep repeating til asleep.

I wouldn’t worry or tie yourself in knots. To be honest both my girls have done their own thing at nursery compared to what we do at home. They’ll find what works for them. DD2 started nursery in September and she’s just having big naps there, prior to this last week or 2 she was having cat naps. Be prepared to tell them your routine, sounds pretty standard though. Both the nurseries we’ve used have done an AM & PM nap time.

You enjoy your Christmas leave, settling your baby however you like to 🥰

My DC was a catnapper from birth - 30-40 mins max. Went to nursery at 18 months and only then had proper naps. Everyone else was sleeping so my DC did - 90 mins or more. I'm sure you'll find your DC will adapt to the nursery's routine quite quickly.

Honestly, do nothing and don't worry. Don't waste your Christmas break forcing him in a cot. I expect he'll be on 1 nap soon anyway. My baby started nursery at 11 months, she'd never napped in a cot and mostly breastfeed to sleep for contact naps, or in the buggy. She naps at nursery, not loads but enough to get her though. Honestly, if she's grumpy, their problem not mine. Babies behave totally different with other people. And just accept itll be different, its going to be a change and adjustment anyway. It's better to 'fill their cup' before nursery with lots of cuddles and feeds, so they feel secure.

My baby only ever feeds to sleep at home at night and in the buggy being walked for naps. At nursery she just lays down with the others and sleeps 🤷🏼‍♀️ and has done since day 1 . I wouldn’t do anything and he will soon get the hang of it and then I think it would be easier to train him at home once he gets the hang of it there. My LO will now nap on the sofa or my bed during the day where she didn’t before