Do nurseries options of sleep times meet the needs of all children that attend nursery?
There has been much debate as to whether children should be put down for a sleep during the day whilst at nursery. Some parents encourage their children to have a daily nap, however other parents feel that this can disturb their night time sleep pattern. Although nurseries should take into account the wishes of the parent, it can be difficult to follow a number of individual routines. Children begin to grow out of daytime naps around the age of two and a half yet it can depend on a variety of factors including home life and sleep patterns. Practitioners and parents should communicate daily to determine if these factors could have altered their routine.
Nurseries often have an area of the room designated for nap times, however this varies from setting to setting. Some nurseries will have a cosy area designed for nap times with beds, allowing children to have a sleep when needed throughout the day. This can cause issues with staffing, especially in much older children where the ratio is higher. Other nurseries have a pack away area for nap times, allowing beds to be set up and taken away afterwards. With this routine nurseries tend to have a strict nap time, usually after lunch. This allows children to sleep within a set period of the day and helps them to gain an understanding of the routine; however this may not meet the needs of some children who require a sleep mid morning or mid afternoon. Also what is available for the children who do not need a sleep at all?
Some nurseries will have an area in which the children who do not sleep can continue to play, yet does this still allow them access to all of the toys and areas of the room? If not, can this have an impact on the children who attend nursery for the afternoon session? Many nurseries have a daily routine in place with set times such as eating and times for free play. This can leave little time to complete paperwork. With ratios kept tight in most nurseries, nap time can help ease ratios in order to cover staff breaks or complete paperwork. But can this in turn have an affect on the learning the children receive? Nurseries should ensure that children who do not require a nap are kept stimulated and receive the same standard of learning opportunities throughout the day.
On the other hand how to parents feel about this, do they actually want their children to sleep at nursery at nursery?