Naps on the Go: Getting Out of the House with Baby
We talk so much about getting your baby to sleep independently and sleeping through the night, but what about daytime sleep? After your little one masters independent sleep at bedtime, it can be important to teach your baby independent sleep during the day too in order to improve nap lengths and also frees you up to spend time with your other little ones.
Getting your baby on a consistent nap schedule is just as important as a consistent nighttime sleep. Having consistent naps will help your baby sleep better at night and will keep your baby happy during the day! But, what if your baby has an older sibling that needs to be picked up from school or has an activity to go to? What if you are going on vacation or visiting a friend/family member?
It is important to continue to offer your baby the nap but be flexible with a nap on the go (and how those naps happen).
AKA— mama, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! We know how important that can be to your mental health; and rather than feeling like you’re tied down and a slave to your little one’s schedule, we want you to feel prepared to manage both your child’s naps and getting out of the house without having to sacrifice night time sleep.
In this blog post we will discuss naps on the go and cover:
Why are naps important?
Naps on the go
Holding baby for nap on the go
Why are naps important?
We know that skipping naps leads to cranky babies and poor overnight sleep. How many naps your child needs + how long they’re awake between naps will vary based on your child’s age and individual needs. You can check out the determining sleep needs blog to help you with a starting point if you’re not sure what they need!
So we do think you can prioritize naps, meaning ensuring they happen but it doesn’t always matter WHERE they happen (ie if they happen in the car, this is OKAY).
Now, this doesn’t mean every kid WILL nap on the go. This is a personality thing, not something you can train them to do well. This blog talks all about baby temperament styles and it may help you with accepting who your little one is vs trying to change them into someone else.
Naps on the Go
We’re gong to go against traditional sleep rules that say your baby has to nap in the pitch black darkness of their room, in their crib, for every nap, every single day. It just isn’t possible AND it causes parents undue stress.
Rather, accept that naps can happen in a variety of places and plan ahead 😉
This does mean you need to intentional about nap timing and arranging it around plans, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do BOTH! Like all things in life, moderation is key and the only % of naps on the go vs naps at home that each child can handle will be up to your individual child and what you’re willing to risk (ie maybe a rougher night of sleep or maybe not, depending on how flexible your child may be).
(Basically, if things are off, don’t expect sleep perfection— just manage expectations!)
With naps on the go try to stick as close to your baby’s sleep schedule as possible when things get a little off track. Try to time car rides, airplanes and your day around your little one’s schedule.
When you are on the go, keep it familiar! Take along your little one’s favorite sleep time things. Having familiar items in an unfamiliar environment goes a long way to keeping up his sleep routine. Use the same sound machine, sleep sack, swaddle, lovey or blanket!
Let’s work with this example. You have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for 10 AM, but your baby sleeps at 9:30! WHAT TO DO??
Manage your wake windows slightly earlier/ later
Figure out how long it takes to you to get to the doctors. For me, it’s usually 15 minutes so we’ll have to be out the door at 9:45 AM minimum.
It will take me approximately 10 mins to feed, and another 5 to get out the door–which means the baby will have to be awake by 9:15.
This means I can do two different things:
Option 1: Put baby down around 8:30/8:45 and cap the nap at 30 minutes. Don’t worry; your baby is likely to have their more extended rest of the day at a different time
Extend wake window to possibly 1030 and expect a nap in the car
Sleep on the go
If the nap is at 9:30, hit the car/stroller AT 9:15 and start driving. Hopefully baby will fall asleep because it’s so close to nap time and this will get you at least 30 minutes on the go. Or as stated above, keep baby awake and hope for a sleep on the way home
Cap a nap if necessary
If the same situation above were to happen in the afternoon you could potentially cap your first nap to try to get a second nap in before the appointment/fun-thing time.
Start Your Day Earlier
If your baby regularly gets up at 6:30, its ok to start his/her day a bit earlier to try to get an earlier nap in for the day. When our day shifts up, so do our naps on a wake window schedule
HOLDING BABY FOR NAP ON THE GO
For the first 4 months of Aiden’s life, I would baby wear him on the go for his naps! Liam was on one nap, so in the morning we would want to go to the park or playdate, so I would baby wear Aiden at the same time that I would put him down for his nap at home.
When it comes to naps on the go, stay flexible and don’t be afraid to have your baby get to bed little bit earlier at night time.
If you’re worried about your baby’s sleep schedule when you have to be on the go - stick with your routines that you’ve established at home. With planning out the day and preparation, your little one’s sleep routine can stay consistent through even the craziest days.
FAQS:
“Isn’t a nap on the go not as restorative?”
This is a popular thought and it’s mostly true. We all know that when we stop driving or moving the stroller (or that sway you do while baby wearing), baby wakes up indicating they weren’t in a deep sleep. But sleep is sleep and will help to relieve sleep pressure, getting them ready for their next wake time, and it allows you to have your day.
There is new research to support motion-based naps are restorative for adults! BUT this requires several, ongoing hours of motion which is truly impossible to achieve.
“Only 30 minutes on the go? Why not more?”
If your baby can do more–awesome! But honestly, we don’t expect much more than a sleep cycle on the go. It’s hard to connect those sleep cycles when you’re rested and aware of the world around you. It’s the band aid that allows you to get out of the house and stay out of baby nap jail.
The only caveat to this is at night. Melatonin usually kicks in the evening so we advice to take long car trips at bedtime.
“My baby never sleeps on the go. Ever.”
I hear this so much before working with clients, but it changes after we work together.
I will say that most sleep-trained children start sleeping on the go once they’re rested and restored. However, some babies just will not sleep on the go. That happens. That may mean there will have a longer wake window/miss a nap. No. This is not ideal. But this is real life! Sometimes a bit more protest at bed or at the next nap may be worth it for your appointment/outing — Mama’s sanity matters.
“(Insert the name of sleep consultant/ expert/friend) says I need to stay home for naps.” They’re not wrong! I advise the same. BUT I also know that I’m not the kind of person and mom who can’t stay at home all day.
Most days I honored our naps at home, but if I had an outing 1-2 times a week–I went to that. A happy, socially fulfilled mama is a good mama, and if being in nap jail all day doesn’t appeal to you, we try to make it work!
“I like naps at home, I don’t want to give them up and I don’t want to get out for naps.”
That’s not a problem- we are all about doing what works for you! However, if it’s because you’re too stressed by the thought of potentially disrupting your child’s schedule then check out this blog on sleep perfectionism and get some freedom from that!
Going out should be fun, but if leaving is becoming a problem it may be worth exploring.
Remember, life gets easier when they take less naps so it won’t be like this forever! Syncing up schedules may also help you gain some freedom.
