How to save on-the-go naps
Have you found yourself in this scenario? You and the baby go out to run a few quick errands between awake windows with the goal to make it home in time for a nap. All is going as planned, you look at your watch and see you will make it just in time. You are 5 minutes away; you look in the back seat to check on your little one and you notice she is sound asleep! The panic sets in and you think to yourself, “Oh dear, what do I do now?”
At My Sweet Sleeper, we practice the 80/20 rule – this means you should aim to have your baby sleeping in their crib or bassinet for 80% of naps. However, it is okay to be flexible with the other 20%. You do not have to be stuck in nap jail all day. It is okay to leave the house – the occasional car or stroller nap will not ruin the healthy sleep foundations you have worked so hard on with your baby. Even still, you may wonder what to do when your child falls asleep while on the go and how to maximize the nap opportunity when this happens!
OPTION 1: ATTEMPT THE TRANSFER.
If your child has just recently fallen asleep, you may be able to transfer them to their crib for the remainder of the nap. This is the safest option and will allow for the most restorative sleep. The main challenge when doing this is, yes you guessed it…your baby wakes up! However, by transferring earlier in the nap, your child may still have enough sleep pressure to fall back asleep. Of course, this will not always be the case, and some babies (especially newborns) do transfer better than others.
How to make the car seat to crib transfer.
When making the move from the car seat to the crib, bring your child into their room in their car seat. Keep the lights off and turn on the sound machine. Gently unharness your baby and place them in the crib, keeping one hand on their chest for a minute or so to help settle them back down. If your baby fully wakes up during this process, it is reasonable to do your nap time routine and try for the nap. However, if it is taking them a while to fall back asleep, it is suggested to end the nap and shorten the next awake window.
OPTION 2: GO WITH THE FLOW AND EXTEND THE NAP.
If your child has been asleep, it may be best to let the nap happen in the car or in the stroller. Especially if you are not close to home or if you have tried to transfer in the past and it did not go as planned! While on-the-go naps are less restorative than motionless sleep in the crib, they are still an opportunity for rest.
Always follow safe sleeping practices.
If you decide to allow your baby to continue their nap in their car seat, you should always keep them in the car or stroller and properly harnessed. The adapters for car seats in cars and strollers are designed to ensure your baby is in the correct position and to help keep their airways open. However, it is still important to keep a close eye on your baby while they are sleeping in their car seat to ensure they are in a safe position and to observe their breathing. Never allow your baby to continue to sleep in their car seat if you have removed them from the car or the stroller as it may no longer be safe. And as always, check the manufacturer’s instructions on your products and follow their guidelines for use.
Try to get one full sleep cycle.
In babies 3.5 months and older, one full sleep cycle is approximately 40 minutes long. Newborns will have shorter sleep cycles as their sleep patterns have not yet regulated. Ideally you want to aim to have your baby complete a full sleep cycle if you decided to save their nap.
Many babies who fall asleep in the car or stroller will wake easily when the motion stops, so your best bet is to keep moving – you can grab a coffee at your favorite drive thru spot, call a friend to catch up while you continue your walk or simply enjoy the quiet in your car/on your stroll! A portable sound machine can also be a blessing in these moments, leave one in your diaper bag so that you are prepared for on-the-go naps. Turning on the sound machine can help recreate the sleep environment your baby is accustomed to at home and will drown out external noise.
Shorten the next awake window if needed.
Unfortunately, there will be times when your little one only takes a quick cat nap in the car or stroller. It’s okay! As I mentioned before, you are aiming for 80/20 – not perfection. In these instances, you will want to shorten their next awake window in order to prevent over-tiredness at their next nap.
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