Will My Nursery / Child-Care Provider Support My Little Ones Sleep?

Will My Nursery / Child-Care Provider Support My Little Ones Sleep?

by | Mar 3, 2022 | Working parents

When you have worked hard to improve your child’s sleep routine, especially if your child has had difficulty sleeping in the past, the idea of sending them to a Nursery or a Child-minder where their sleep routine may not be supported can be daunting to parents.

When selecting a child-care facility, I always recommend looking around at least twice and at different times of the day if you’re able to as this will give you more of an idea of their routine. However, you should always speak to your child-care provider about your child’s sleep routines and your concerns. Maybe you have a special phrase that means it’s sleep-time, or perhaps a comforter that needs to be removed once they fall asleep? All these little things can affect your child’s sleep and it’s perfectly acceptable to ask them about it!

Recently, I was asked by Purple Jay Nurseries to go to their Lambeth, London site (they also have lovely facilities in both Peckham Rye and East Dulwich) and do a presentation and question and answer style interview for the parents there all about Supporting Sleep and talking them through my gentle, holistic methods. I was so pleased not only to be asked and able to help this group of parents in person (which thanks to Covid were a novelty) but to be able to answer individual questions.

It was also refreshing to have a nursery wanting to support their parents and little ones through what can be one of the biggest challenges of parenting. Having passed on my methods to both staff and parents, I’m confident it will help everyone get some improved sleep and more communication regarding sleep behaviours between the nursery and parents. They were so accommodating and I hope to return at some stage as I felt it not only really benefitted everyone but also built the parents confidence that the Nursery is looking after their little one’s best interests. Something every parent wants in their child-care provider!

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How Can I Communicate Our Sleep Routine To Nursery / Child-Care?

Absolutely make sure you communicate your sleep routine! Child-care providers will be actively looking for all the methods to help support your little one to sleep. Remember they also WANT them to sleep and be in their best mood possible for the day.

If, like myself, you’re against the cry-it-out method, or have other ‘no no’s’ when it comes to naptime then make sure you make that clear within your handover instructions. If you’re new to your child attending child-care because of going back to work then I’d recommend looking at my Back To Work Guide, shorter than my sleep guide. This guide focuses on returning to work and how to ease this transition. Even if you aren’t returning to work there is a lot of useful information on how to start your child with a child-care provider and a handy handover template/guide.

The best way to communicate your wishes around your child’s care is to write it down (maybe even laminate it!) and put it within your child’s belongings so that whenever the nursery are changing a nappy or in your child’s bag they will be reminded of your care instructions.

baby sleep coach holding baby 2

Can You Speak To My Child’s Child-Care Provider?

Similarly to the presentation, I did at Purple Jay Nurseries, I’m available to speak to parents and/or staff regarding sleep methods that follow my gentle, holistic and family centred ethos. If your nursery would like me to do a presentation then they can contact me directly here where I can happily talk through the options with them directly.
My sleep presentations build the confidence of parents not only with their home sleep-time routines but also with the ability of their nursery to accommodate their gentle sleep preferences to the highest standard. Discussing these strategies together can bring a new clarification on what may or may not work for a child – and also where the discrepancies might be!

    Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

    How can I help my baby sleep through Fireworks?

    How can I help my baby sleep through Fireworks?

    by | Nov 2, 2021 | Festive season with family

    TABLE OF CONTENT:

    How do you get baby sleep through fireworks tips:
    Rerefences

    A night with fireworks can be a stressful time for anyone with children or pets and as the weather turns colder we know that Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve are both just around the corner.  You may worry how your baby or toddler will get a good night’s sleep while the noise from the fireworks is going on outside so I have come up with some top tips for helping your baby sleep through fireworks, and get a good night’s sleep.

    Mum reading bedtime story to ensure baby sleep through fireworks

    How do you get baby sleep through fireworks tips:

    1. Time your baby’s sleep just right.  

    The deeper the sleep your baby is in, the less likely it is that the bangs and screeches outside will disturb them. For parents, this might mean moving your child’s routine slightly earlier so that they will be asleep early enough to have fallen into a deep sleep long before the fireworks begin.

    2. Let them know what is happening.

    If your child is a bit older, you can prepare them by explaining about the loud noises that they may hear if they do happen to wake up in the night. Let them know that it is nothing to worry about and they are fine to go back to sleep. You may even want to show your child some videos or sounds of the fireworks in the quiet to put it into a more simple context for them.

    3. Change up your bookshelf

    As well as the examples above for aiding your child’s understanding, you could team this up by sharing a few books with your child about the dark and fireworks celebrations to help illustrate the point that fireworks are not scary and the noises are nothing to fear. You can show them pictures of fireworks to show how beautiful they can be and also show illustrations of children enjoying a fireworks display.

    4. Disguise the noise

    What makes a white noise machine so great is that it can hide any ambient noises (especially surprise or sudden and unusual ones as referenced in this study on the effect of noise on sleep) that might otherwise wake your child during the night. Consider using one if you don’t already and maybe even turn it up so they have the subtle sounds of white noise to fall asleep to, rather than the potentially more scary sounds of loud fireworks going off. You can read the pros and cons of white noise here.

    5. Keep the daytime routine the same

    To help your child sleep through fireworks, try to keep the daytime routine the same. It may be tempting to shorten or skip naps in the hope your baby will go to sleep a little earlier, but it’s the consistency of their routine, as well as making sure they don’t become too over-tired, that will help your child to sleep through the fireworks and as they normally would.

    6. Plan food for sleep

    Did you know that some foods can help your child to have a good night’s sleep? Make your bonfire night tea and snacks up of foods that contain melatonin, vitamin B6, and vitamin C to help aid sleep. For more information, read our earlier blog on foods that will help your baby sleep better.

    7. Be prepared for bed

    If you are wanting to enjoy some firework festivities, then go fully prepared with things your child needs for bedtime.  Get them changed into their pyjamas and complete any other of your usual night time activities before you leave the celebrations, and you might be lucky enough that they fall asleep on the way home and then be able to transfer them straight to bed.  For children who wake up when you transfer them, do a shortened version of your usual night time routine with them to send them back soundly to sleep. You could try playing an audiobook on the car drive home to replace their bedtime story, for instance. Hopefully combined with the previous tips, your child will find that even though it is bonfire night that sleep comes as easily to them as any other night.

    8. Stay calm and control your emotions

    Probably the most important tip is to think about how you react yourself.  Your child will sense your anxieties or frustrations, so let them wash over your head so your child can feel calm, relaxed and positive, just like you.  Just remember, fireworks do not last forever and normal sleep will resume before you know it.  Also don’t fuss or assume your child will be frightened as this will actually encourage this to be true.

    References:

    Lee et al, ‘Effect of Noise on Sleep and Autonomic Activity in Children according to Source’ (National library of Medicine, 09 August 2021) <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8476937/> accessed 31 October 2022.

    F Jiang, ‘Sleep and Early Brain Development’ (Karger, June 2020) <https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/508055> accessed 31 October 2022

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