🚗Car naps🚗
The other day I posted about tips for avoiding car naps, but a few of you said you had the opposite problem and can’t achieve car naps when you want them to happen!
Here are some tips to help encourage car naps:
1. ⏰Drive during nap time
* Plan your drives to at a time when your baby normally naps. A sleepy baby is more likely to nod off with the motion of the car.
2. 😴Create a sleep-friendly environment
* Shade the windows with sunshades to block out light.
* Keep the car at a comfortable temperature but I do find slightly warmer makes them del cosier!
* Use white noise: The hum of the car is often enough, but a portable white noise machine can help if your baby is easily disturbed.
3. 🚘Use a comfortable car seat
* Make sure the car seat is well-padded, correctly installed, and reclined at a safe, comfortable angle to support sleep.
4. ✅Pre-nap routine
* Follow a mini version of your at-home nap routine (e.g., nappy change, feed, song) before getting in the car.
5. 🧦Dress Comfortably
* Dress your baby in breathable layers to avoid overheating or being too cold.
6. 🎶Minimize distractions
* Avoid playing upbeat music or talking too much in the car. Soft lullabies or silence are better sleep cues. This is very hard in our car as you can imagine, but fortunately we don’t have any sleep challenges!
7. 🚘Motion Matters
* Smooth, steady driving works best. Stop-and-go traffic or rough roads can disrupt sleep. Avoid roads with traffic lights 😂
Despite all of these tips, some children just do not sleep well in cars (if at all!) and there’s not much else you can do. Hopefully you aren’t driving long distances every day and it’s only a once in a while problem!
