When is a ‘nap on the go’ a good idea?

Let’s face it, we all need to get out and about to stay sane, especially when we have a baby!! Naps on the go will happen so just be aware that your little one may not nap as well on the go as they do at home as the world is a noisy and exciting place! That is not an issue if they sleep well as they can catch up during their next nap. Do remember that if you stop walking your little one may wake once they come out of their deep sleep) so plan a decent length walk if you want a decent length nap!

There are times, however, when naps on the go are a really good idea:

1. To ensure the awake window and the last nap is not too long. You may find this typically happens around the time little ones transition to one less nap so having that 4^th or 3^rd nap on the go will ensure your little one has a short nap to help them through to bedtime, without getting overtired. This can be straight to an on the go nap and can last around 15=20 minutes. The reason is that even if your little one has great sleep skills, they can find that last nap tricky so a little bit of motion will really help them fall asleep and make bedtime a much nicer experience.

• If they are, unusually, struggling to settle in the cot. Don’t let everyone get stressed, take the pressure off you all by going for a walk and have the next nap in the cot.

• If your little one is really overtired. This is more likely to happen with a newborn, but can happen with any little one, so reducing overtiredness by having a nap or two ‘on the go’ can really help for the rest of the day and night. Newborns may need a couple of days of naps on the go before they can get rid of being overtired.

• If you are doing a long journey. Scheduling a long journey around nap time can be a great idea as your little one will sleep for at least part of the journey! You can then make good progress before needing to stop for a feed/snack/run around and then the entertaining part of the journey means you are much closer!

• When you need to get out the house! The odd nap on the go wont undo all the hard work you have been putting in with your little one’s sleep skills so ensure you get out and about to see friends, run errands or even take a walk in nature! You need to fill your cup too!
• As always, if you’re experiencing any problems with your little ones sleep, please do get in touch – we would love to help!