Daycare Letting Baby Sleep for 5 Hours??!!

You're not nuts for being upset, but I wonder what sort of schedule the daycare has in place for your daughter's naps. Does she have "set" nap times? Is she allowed to nap "whenever"? Tomorrow would be the time to outline your expectations for naps--when and for how long--and for the daycare center to respond to those expectations.

This is one reason why my son is not in daycare. He went to one for 3 weeks, and while there were many "issues" going on, the straw that broke the camels back was how the daycare provider was handling naps. We then hired someone to watch our son in our home--just a thought.

I'm with the others of the opinion that it is normal for a three and a half month old to have a rather spuratic sleep schedule. That said, you are the parent and what you say goes no matter what anyone else says! If you don't want your child sleeping that long, let the daycare know, but give them the benefit of the doubt if it's a first offense. I talked with the mom of a baby that I watched for a few months and she didnt want her little one to sleep more than three hours during a nap. So at her request, the few days the little one actually slept that long, I would wake her and not let her sleep any longer. If the daycare is not willing to be reasonable about your request, find another one. And further, if your child regularly naps in or is put in a swing all day, find another daycare! If my child was left in a swing for 5 hours I'd be rather ticked off too, since that's about all a child can do in a swing! I have a swing that I used only as a last resort when the baby was clean and fed and still relentlessly upset and obviously tired, or as safe spot when my hands were needed elsewhere for a diaper change or the like. But other than that, your baby needs the specialized attention she deserves!-If the center isn't able to provide that, or if you don't feel like they respect your wishes- do not be afraid to look elsewhere.

Good luck!

Babies do go through growth spurts, and I don't think the baby would sleep that long if he didn't need to. Babies are usually put on schedules to make it easier for parents to work and sleep. I believe you shouldn't bother a sleeping baby, more importantly I would want to know that my sleeping child is being looked in on often while he sleeps. If you prefer longer naps in the am, and shorter naps in the pm so he will go to bed at a certain time, then most daycares should adhere to that schedule if you told them ahead of time.

I agree with Rebecca's post. If this was a one time occurrence then I wouldn't be too upset especially since your child is still pretty young. My son's sleep schedule has varied as he has gotten older (he's 13 months now) He has slept consistently through the night since 2 1/2 months old, but naps vary from 2 short half hour naps to one 2 hour nap and every so often will sleep for about four hours straight. (in which I am constantly checking on him to make sure he is ok!)

Definitely check with the director, but I wouldn't be too concerned at this point. You might even call your doctor for extra assurance. Also think about any changes to her routine such as did she have any shots recently? Is she possibly teething? coming down with a cold? Any of those things could affect her sleep schedule and it could simply be a growth spurt as others have mentioned too. Always listen to your gut, but this doesn't seem too unusual.

HTH,
A.

if this was happening every day and she wasn't sleeping at night then i would see it as a problem. as long as it doesn't become a habit and get days and nights mixed up i would say its ok.

my daughter sleeps for about 4-6 hours during the day. usually at 2 2-3 hour naps. sometimes she will be up in the morning and sleep all the hours at once then is up for the rest of the afternoon and evening. then sleeps normally at night going to sleep at 7-8pm. sometimes they need more sleep. i know when mine are starting a growth spurt they will sleep more and eat more while awake then in a week or two they are back to normal. this could be the case.

i would still ask just to see but when mine are sleeping i let them sleep, they know what they need thier bodies are more intune with what they need and follow thier needs more than we do as adults.

Hi M.,

There are many sources on the internet that suggest that a child under the age of 6 months requires around five hours of sleep a day. It tapers off at that point but the average amount of sleep for your child is 15-20 hours a day.

"Just when parents feel that sleeping through the night seems like a far-off dream, their baby's sleep time usually begins to shift toward night. At 3 months, a baby averages 5 hours of sleep during the day and 10 hours at night, usually with an interruption or two. About 90% of babies this age sleep through the night, meaning 6 to 8 hours in a row."

Talk to the Director about your child but it would not seem unusual to me that a child of three months sleeps that long. I am surprised, as the noise level is usually such that a child doesn't sleep that long but stranger things have happened! My question would also be, did he/she have a morning nap in addition? Was all of this sleep at one time?

Good luck!

C.

I wouldn't like that at all, and I am fairly flexible with my kids. That seems like an awful long time. Yeah, I agree with the "don't wake a sleeping baby", but that sort of crosses the line. Besides...at 3 months, arn't they still eating every few hours??? Did they not feed her??

I don't think you are nuts-it does seem extreme. Giving them the benefit of the doubt maybe they thought, 'don't wake a sleeping baby', but that sounds like an inexperienced daycare provider so why are they in charge of your child...you're doing the right thing-address it immediately. It will give you the opportunity to set or reset your expectations so there is no next time.

Maybe I am the exception, but I have always let my kids sleep when they need the rest. Amazingly, they usually sleep better when they have rested well during the day then they do when they don't. What are you upset about? Missing a bottle or messing up your night?

No you are not nuts. I would be just as upset. They need to be interacting and stimulating the baby to help her to develop and help "get her tired" so she sleeps when she should. I wouldn't allow a baby (or rarely would allow) to sleep that long during the day. All they should be getting at that time is maybe 3 hours total for the day. I hope you survived the nite!