One main event for which you should get your child’s sleep in order with urgency would be returning to work. If your young child struggles to sleep either at bedtime or throughout the night and doesn’t nap well or in a conventional sleeping space, then a sleep learning process should ideally be put in place as soon as possible beyond 6 months of age, so that your child gets the right amount of sleep and the right quality of sleep for healthy development and is able to sail through transitions such as starting in day care.
Plan in advance of returning to work
To be fair to your child who isn’t sleeping well and to not make going back to work more challenging for all, begin preparations at least 1-2 months in advance of your start date, if age appropriate. Bear in mind that it can typically take 3-4 weeks for sleep problems to be corrected.
Going back to work presents its own emotional issues for Mum and for your child having to get used to not seeing you as much during the day, as well as acclimatising to a new environment/care giver.
I encourage parents to begin any sleep learning process as early in advance as possible and not to leave things to the last minute.
Returning to Work
It’s difficult for us to process the thought of going back to work, whether you are a first time parent or returning to work after a second or subsequent child. Those first few months of maternity leave tend to fly by, but when you know when your are returning to work you will need to make some informed choices about your childcare provisions and I would encourage you to include sleep within those decisions. It may also be easier to tolerate sleep deprivation whilst on maternity leave, but it will be increasingly more difficult when you are trying to work and function at an optimum level in a professional capacity and still be the best parent and partner that you can be.
Day time sleep
A young child will have a day time sleep need to at least to age 3 and very possibly beyond. Where and at what time they will sleep needs to be considered by you and by the people that are minding your child.
Ensure that you know what kind of a template of a day your child should be on for his/her age group and the amount of daytime sleep s/he requires and at what times. That way you can be assertive over your child’s day care sleep from the start of the parent/childcare relationship.
That your child maintains a healthy daytime sleep schedule for as long as is age appropriate will have a positive implication for night-time sleep. Sadly, inadequate day time sleep can actually be the cause of frequent night time awakenings, which are hard to manage at the best of times, notwithstanding having to work the following day.
Adjusting to a new environment and care giver
Before your child starts in a day care environment, be it crèche, childminder, or a relation, I suggest that s/he should already be an independent sleeper and so then the only real adjustment that is required is getting used to sleeping in a different location. In all cases, it is a time of transition and it may take time for your little person to get used to sleeping in a new environment, so try to have your childminder do the same sort of nap routine that you do at the same time and in the same way.
It can be helpful for you to send a similar sleeping bag if you use one to the crèche/childminder and possibly a transitional object such as a safe blanket or stuffed toy that he can have when it is sleep time.
I also recommend that from the start you allow the childminder to address sleep time without you present. That way, very quickly, your child won’t associate you with sleep in this new environment and your minders can develop a sleep relationship with your child.
Give it time
Above all, as with any change it takes time for everyone to get used to the “new” way. You certainly would help this transition be as smooth as possible if any sleep issues have already been addressed, but don’t worry if you have left it to the last minute, it is never too late to work towards better sleep!
