How to prevent your child’s nap from being ruined when they fall asleep in the car
I don’t know about you, but this happens to us all the time: We get in the car and no matter how long or short the drive is, one of my kids falls asleep for the last ten minutes of the drive.
Now, if you’re a parent, you know how this ends up ruining their regular nap, because somehow that TEN minute cat nap was enough to make them feel rested enough to not fall asleep when you get home and try to lay them down.
Maybe you’ve tried to sing and dance and roll the window down to keep them awake (only to probably fail) or maybe you’ve tried to sneak them into the house and transfer them to their crib hoping to save their nap.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t usually work. The shuffle of the car turning off, unbuckling, and carrying them inside is more than enough to wake most kids up.
A lot of parents, specifically moms, end up feeling stuck at home because they don’t want to risk ruining their kiddos nap. We never want you to feel trapped at home, so on today’s episode we’re giving you the secret to solving the 10 minute car nap.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
Sleep Pressure (why a 10 minute car nap disrupts your child’s afternoon nap)
How to solve the 10 minute car nap
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
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Why is a 10 minute car nap enough to ruin what might usually be a 1-3 hour nap (depending on your child’s age)?
Something called “Sleep Pressure” which is basically just our need to sleep.
When our kids wake up for the day, they start building sleep pressure. It builds and builds until they take a nap and then it releases as they sleep.
One way to think of it is to picture carrying a backpack all day long. As the day passes, rocks are added to your pack. By nighttime, your pack is so heavy you need to take it off and sleep. When you wake up the next morning, your pack is empty and the cycle starts again.
In babies and kids, the pressure builds and needs to be released more often throughout the day, which is why they need frequent naps.
The trouble with even a 10 minute car nap is that it will release their sleep pressure just enough that they’ll feel rested and ready to go when the car stops.
What can you do?
Instead of trying to sing and dance to keep them awake or sneak them into their crib to continue the car nap, here’s the secret:
Push their regular nap time back by 30-60 minutes.
This will give their sleep pressure enough time to build back up and it will be easier for them to fall asleep 🎉
That’s it. It’s so easy and simple and it will save your day every time.
This tip has given me so much freedom and I’m never afraid to run errands or go to a friends house for a playdate because I know that even if the baby falls asleep on the way home, I will be able to save her nap and our day won’t be ruined.
Like I said in the beginning, we don’t ever want you to feel like a slave to your child’s sleep schedule or like you’re trapped in your house. Our routines should be tools to serve us and our families, and they shouldn’t cause us stress or prevent us from living life.
I hope this encourages you and gives you a tangible strategy for your child’s sleep that you can start using today!