10 Sleep Questions You Need to Ask Your Child’s Daycare

America has one of the worst if not THE WORST maternity and paternity leave benefits for families. This makes it very difficult for parents to stay home and care for their babies let alone themselves. The poor benefits give families no choice but to send their children to a childcare facility such as a daycare or even to another caretaker's home. 

Continue reading if you plan to send your baby to a daycare or grandma’s house. I AM SHARING 10 SLEEP QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK YOUR CHILD’S DAYCARE, PRESCHOOL, OR EVEN GRANDMA FOR THAT MATTER.

Sleep at home is difficult to come by for some babies so having sleep happen outside of the home is even more challenging. But all babies are capable of sleeping outside of their sleep space or home. It just takes one thing…. 

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! 

That first stroller nap may not happen the way you intended for it to occur. Or your baby could be up all night because you had them sleep in a travel crib when vacationing. I will be completely honest with you and say that all of this is very normal. 

Much like anything in life, it takes practice and consistency to master anything and this holds true for your child's sleep as well. 

Now that you know that it is normal for your child’s sleep to be different when sleeping outside of their normal sleep space we can continue talking about how you can be proactive and better prepared to handle it. 

ASK THESE QUESTIONS TO YOUR CHILD’S DAYCARE OR CHILDCARE FACILITY: 

1. Do you follow the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidelines?

   You will want to make sure that the beds, mattresses, or spaces they use are flat and firm as recommended by the AAP. They should not be using bouncers, swings, or anything else that is not approved for sleep.

2. Can you please describe the sleep space/environment? 

   See if they will give you a tour of their facility so you can see exactly how the room/space is set up. Knowing how dark it will get in the room during naps can also be helpful. Some will allow you to bring in a portable sound machine. If your child is going to grandma’s house then be sure to send a portable crib/pack n’ play with a Slumberpod or help install some blackout curtains in the room where your baby will be sleeping. See if the daycare/preschool will allow you to bring in a Slumberpod as well.

3. Are you allowed to bring anything to help your child fall asleep (such as a lovey, pacifier, sleep sack, swaddle, or crib sheet)? 

   This would be super important especially if your baby has sleep associations and needs a lovey, pacifier, or a special blanket to sleep with. If they need YOU in order to sleep then send your worn shirt for them to sleep with if they are over 12 months old. Or you can stick their sleep sack or swaddle in your shirt all day and then send it with your child the next day for daycare to use. You will want to have multiples of things you send to daycare because they will also need them at home. 

4. What is your process of getting the baby down to sleep?

   If you are sending a sleep-trained or independent sleeper to daycare that does not need to be rocked or fed to sleep then be sure to express this information to the daycare. You might want to ask them how they put the babies to sleep. Some may put them down awake and let them cry it out a little while others will only transfer to their sleep space once they are sleeping. 

5. What is your take on crying when the baby is trying to fall asleep? 

   If your baby still cries when placed down or is a bit fussy then be sure to let them know and ask them how they handle this. If there is a process you do when they do this then be sure to share this with them. 

6. How do you manage short naps? 

   I will be honest, in those first few days or even weeks, your baby will be taking short naps especially if they were taking short naps at home before they started daycare. Inform daycare that their naps are usually short if they are and explain to them your process in how to approach them. If you pause before attending to them after they wake up then let them know this. Some may not be able to do this in hopes of not waking up the other babies. Also, figure out what they actually do when a short nap does happen. Do they try to get the baby back to sleep, take them out of the room, just keep them up, or offer a contact nap to help get them sleeping again? 

7. Can you follow a sample schedule for feeds and sleep if provided?  

   If you have your child on a good routine at home and know their schedule pretty well then you can see if the daycare will be open to following that schedule. Don’t worry too much if they say NO. You can totally do that schedule when your baby is at home and have daycare follow their own schedule. If your baby is going to grandma’s house though be sure to give that schedule to them and remind them to follow it as best as possible. 

8. Can you wake my child up after a certain point? 

   If you have a child that is older than 2 or 2.5 and your child may not need the full 2-3 hours of sleep that is offered at daycare then let them know this. See if they can wake your child up after a certain time. 

9. Can my child skip nap time if they no longer nap? 

   If your child has a rough time going to sleep at bedtime, is over 3/3.5 years old, and still naps a few hours when at daycare then you might even want to ask if your child can skip the nap and be taken into another room where they can do quiet time activities instead.

    

10. What is your feeding schedule like? 

    If you do not want them to feed to sleep then be sure to express that especially if your baby does not do this at home. Some have a feeding schedule they follow so be sure to ask if they will share that with you. Be sure to let them know if your baby has reflux or needs to be held upright for a period of time before putting down. Daycares will usually collect information on allergies and food preferences but if they don’t then remember to provide that to them. And you definitely want to do this for at home caretakers such as grandma. Providing them with a sample feeding schedule similar to the sleep schedule will help set your baby up for success for bedtime once home. 

For more daycare tips please see the DAYCARE GUIDE I have saved on my Instagram Page. 

Remember to advocate for your baby and their needs. You are their voice and you need to express what is best for them whether that is at daycare, preschool, or at another caretaker’s home. If you get any hesitation or push back then you always have the choice to find a place that works for your baby and family. 

Are you ready to become a well-rested family?

Take the first step towards sleep and book a FREE DISCOVERY CALL. On this call, we will see if we would be a good match to work together and which service would be best suited for you to help achieve your sleep goals. 

Want some DIY things to implement first? Well, check out my FREE BABY SLEEP RESOURCES PAGE and grab one or all of my freebies.