Baby Not Napping at Daycare? Here’s What Actually Helps
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get said very often: Most babies don’t sleep that well at daycare.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the majority of children under age five spend time each week in non-parental care. Daycare is a normal part of modern family life. But biologically speaking, sleep tends to come easiest in calm, predictable, no-stimulation spaces — and daycare usually doesn’t quite fit that description.
A lot of how your baby adjusts to daycare comes down to temperament.
A baby with higher sleep needs or a more laidback temperament who can tune out background noise may nap fairly well in a group setting. A baby who is more alert, sensitive, or deeply interested in everything happening around them may struggle to settle or connect sleep cycles.
Only so much is in your control if your baby is in daycare, but there are a few things that you can control that can make a positive difference in helping your baby get the sleep they need!
1. Focus on Familiarity
The more overlap there is between home and daycare sleep cues, the better.
If your baby sleeps in a specific sleep sack at home, send the same one. If you use white noise, ask whether a small portable machine is allowed. Many centers can’t darken rooms completely, but white noise is often acceptable and can soften the impact of a busy environment.
The goal here is to give your baby recognizable sleep cues to allow them to go to sleep as easily as possible.
2. Have a Conversation About Nap Timing
Daycare providers are juggling a lot, and they can’t follow one child’s ideal schedule minute-by-minute. But most caregivers genuinely want the children in their care to sleep well.
Share what you’ve noticed at home:
How long your baby comfortably stays awake
What tired cues look like
What tends to make settling easier
Even if the schedule can’t be exact, awareness helps prevent overtiredness and overtired babies have the hardest time sleeping in stimulating environments.
Keep reading here to learn how to spot your baby’s sleep cues and plan their day.
3. Adjust Expectations Around Nap Length
One of the biggest stress points for daycare families is nap length. Shorter naps in group care are common. Even in a calm classroom, there’s more stimulation than at home. Subtle noise, light, and activity can make it harder for babies to connect sleep cycles.
Instead of focusing on the length of each individual nap, zoom out and look at the full 24-hour picture.
Many daycare babies need an extra nap compared to what’s typical for their age. For example, a 9-month-old who might take two long naps at home may do better with three shorter naps in daycare to meet the same overall sleep need.
If your baby is getting enough sleep across the day and night, generally content, and developing well, shorter daycare naps may simply be part of this season!
4. Protect the Night
If naps are consistently short or fragmented, nighttime sleep becomes more important.
Sometimes that means shifting bedtime earlier — even if it’s not ideal for your schedule. I know that’s a tough one, especially when evenings are the only uninterrupted time you get together. But an overtired baby isn’t enjoying that time either.
A slightly earlier bedtime can stabilize mood, reduce night wakings, and prevent a cycle of chronic overtiredness. It doesn’t have to be permanent. It just has to meet your baby where they are right now.
If you need help figuring out when your baby’s bedtime should be, check out this blog next!
5. Don’t Mirror the Daycare Schedule on Weekends
If your baby’s naps are shorter or more disrupted during the week, the weekend doesn’t need to copy daycare. In most cases, it shouldn’t.
Home is usually a lower-stimulation environment. You have more flexibility to follow appropriate wake windows, protect the sleep space, and allow naps to run longer when your baby needs it.
Those well-supported nap days on the weekend can prevent overtiredness from building up and make the week ahead smoother. The goal isn’t to match daycare’s structure seven days a week. It’s to meet your baby’s total sleep needs across the full week.
Daycare Sleep Isn’t Perfect… But It Can Be Doable!
Even if naps at daycare aren’t perfect, your baby can still thrive, feel secure, and grow just fine.
If you’re feeling stuck figuring out how to balance naps, bedtime, and the daycare schedule, I can help! In a 1:1 consult, we’ll take a close look at your baby’s age, temperament, and daily routine and create a plan that actually works for your family, and gets you the best sleep possible.
