My 22 Month Old Won't Nap at Daycare

How many hours does he sleep at night? Toddlers need approximately 12 to 14 hours of sleep in each 24-hour period. So if, for example, your child goes to bed at 8 p.m. and doesn't get up until 8 a.m., he may get his full quota of rest all at once, giving him no reason to need a nap. But if he doesn't get 12 hours at night, then ideally he should get some zzz's during the day. Now that your toddler's growing older, you'll most likely have a tougher time getting him down for a nap. Toddlers are so intent on discovering the world around them that they hate to miss out on anything, even if they're exhausted.

Here are a couple links for more information:

http://www.babycenter.com/expert/toddler/toddlersleep/764...

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlersleep/129...

I hope this info is helpful! I have two at home who decided at an early age that they didn't "need" a nap. The bright side is that they go down much earler in the evening now and bedtime is not such a struggle. Take care! L.

I also am a director of a preschool and agree 100% with everything previously posted. The only other thing that I would add is that maybe he needs something from home that is comforting to him (a blanket, stuffed animal, a special toy) that might help him to rest better. The other thing that I would suggest is to have the teachers put his mat off by himself so he has no distractions.

I think it is important to be consistent. How does the provider put him down for a nap? Does she lay him down crying? Does she rock him, read to him, and cuddle him before naptime? Did she follow, from the beginning, the same routine you had been following at home?

I am a home daycare provider and watch four children your son's age. We have a set schedule everyday. We play, sing, dance, go outside, have snack, play some more, have lunch, then go to bed. We go down at the same exact time everyday. Each child has their own routine for how they fall asleep. Two fall asleep on their own with their 'special' blankets. One needs to be held to settle down for a few minutes and then put down. And of course my own two year old has to fall asleep in my arms. I hope that your provider doesn't just try to lay him down and calls it quits after an hour or so. It just might not be working for him. With each child it has taken some time to get into the routine, with the longest one being three weeks. I would talk to your provider about her routine and see if it is consistent with yours at home. Also give it a few more weeks, it just might be taking him longer to adjust to the change. Good luck!

I am a childcare director and can tell you a few things that I would watch for. Find out what they do to help your child fall asleep. How much light is in the room when they nap (some emergency lights have to be kept on and some rooms have large windows that allow daylight in). Some children do not sleep well unless it is very dark. Do they play calming music and is it played soft or loud? Do they have your child sleep in the same spot every day (consistancy is everything)? Are the providers rubbing or patting your child's back? How long prior to arriving at childcare does child wake up? How active do they keep your child during the day? Loss of sleep can point to so many different things. My main concern as a parent myself is making sure that your child is truely comfortable there. If they are not there is a good chance that they will never relax enough to sleep well.