Naps On The Go And How To Achieve Them

As a sleep consultant and mum of 2 under 2, I know the importance of getting out in the fresh air throughout the day with kids. It's invaluable for our mental health as mothers and does wonders for our little cubs too, especially in the sleep department.

 

One thing I always encourage my clients to do each day is get out for a walk or coffee date for at least 1 nap of the day. It's sounds pretty easy, hey! But there can be a bit of anxiety that comes with attempting naps on the go. Whether in the pram car seat or carrier. Especially if the nap doesn't happen and your child skips a nap or their nap is really short. Because that leads to bedtime troubles and an overtired baby (send help!)

 

The first 'guideline' I lived by which saved my sanity and lessened my anxiety around sleep when my girls were younger was the 'every 2nd day rule'. This simply means you stay home one day and have naps at home while being in routine and the next day you spend it out and about, using naps on the go. Always ensuring you're getting back into routine the next day or as soon as possible.

 

I then suggest you pick either your morning or afternoon sleep as the nap you choose to have on the go. Whether it's a walk in the pram at 8:30am or a car nap at school pick up. Either way, make sure you're home at lunch time to give your baby a chance to have a nice big restorative lunch sleep.

 

Why the lunch sleep, you ask?

 

This is when your baby's hormones are most primed for sleep. Their cortisol and body temperature lowers and their sleepy hormones serotonin and melatonin are at their highest. This nap also falls perfectly in their biological sleep window (9-10am, 12-2pm, 6-7pm) which are times when your baby's hormones and restfulness are going to be on your sleep-gods side. Meaning you'll have an easier baby to settle to sleep (so long as they're not overtired) and a quicker resettle period so you can extend their naps more easily.

 

Bring along their positive sleep associations to help them feel safe and secure. These include things like a portable white noise machine, sleep sack and teddy.

 

Give them a little extra time to fall asleep.

Some babies will naturally be able to fall asleep outside of their sleep environment at home but others are a little more sensitive to light and changes in their environment. And that is ok! It's normal to take 15-20 minutes to fall asleep in a dark sleep environment but allow your little cub some extra time when out. Especially when it's harder to settle down for sleep when there's a whole world out there to look around at and explore. Did someone say FOMO!? If you have to contact nap for 30 minutes just to get them to have a nap, do it! You won't ruin any progress by doing this. Especially if you follow the guideline mentioned above.

 

Practice, practice, practice!

Just like how much practice it takes transferring a sleeping baby from a car seat to a cot... and if you don't know then consider yourself lucky because it's a lot! You gotta practice (x3). You'll soon find what works for your baby and what doesn't.

 

It's VERY NORMAL FOR BABIES/TODDLERS TO ONLY SLEEP 1 SLEEP CYCLE WHEN OUT AND ABOUT so don't be hard on yourself if you aren't able to get them to sleep longer. Just shorten their awake window a little and offer another nap.

 

Be sure to always compensate any lost day sleep with an earlier bedtime. I promise you, just because your baby is going to bed earlier DOES NOT mean they are going to wake early.

 

Naps on the go can be torturous, anxiety-filled and hard at first but nothing is more important than your mental health and the breathe of fresh air!

 

DO YOU NEED SOME SLEEP SUPPORT?

If you're struggling with daytime sleeps and how to navigate naps on the go while still getting sleep success, purchase a one-on-one support package today and watch the magic happen.

 

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