Every parent dreams of being able to get out the house with their new baby. From essential tasks like grocery shopping to social events like your weekly coffee catch with friends. In the beginning sleepy newborns give a false sense of hope that we can have our cake and eat it too… that is until they ‘wake up’ at around 8-12 weeks and suddenly find it difficult to stay asleep in the pram. All of a sudden you feel trapped at home, not knowing when to leave the house or you make it out and suddenly your little bambino falls asleep but you have know idea if its going to be 5 minutes or 2 hours (you could be stranded down the street). So how do we make for sleep success when out and about? .....There are a few keys things that will go a long way and interestingly these are usually overlooked.
Darkness: We need the pram/bassinet or capsule to be as dark as possible. And thanks to CoziGo we can do this without the danger of overheating our babies. CoziGo universal covers make it dark (perfect for sleep) but also allow for quality airflow, keeping the temperature safe and stable.
Temperature:This is a little harder to do as prams/bassinets and capsules are small and confined and are made from synthetic materials that don’t breathe. Dress your baby accordingly. In the warmer months this may be just nappy, swaddle in a light Muslin but keeps legs out. CoziGo will ensure airflow is not compromised and this will help to keep temperature down.
Sound: When we go out and about it’s usually to places that are extremely noisy such as cafes, shopping centres and car parks. To mask these loud, ever changing noises use a portable white noise machine. White noise has been proven to help babies fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Here’s the device I recommend Mybaby Soundspa by Homedics.
Comforters: If you baby uses a dummy or cuddle toy make sure to offer this at every sleep, including all your out and about sleeps. This can be easily forgotten so its a good idea to keep spares in your nappy bag or car.
Timing of naps: The timing of when you put your baby to sleep can make a huge difference. I often see parents that have great routine or daily flow at home but really struggle with sleep success when out and about as the routine is often forgotten. By following developmentally age appropriate wake windows at home AND when out and about, you are going to see much greater success. For example if your 6 month old’s first nap is at 8:30am most mornings at home then you would head out of the house 30
minutes prior to this (or enough time to drive to your destination, feed, nappy, cuddle etc) and be putting your baby down at 8:30 am in the pram.
A little help goes a long way: Sleeping out and about is a skill level 10. So its no wonder that your baby will need a little help to get there. I always say to parents to “do what ever you need to to get your baby to sleep”. Go for a walk or even rock the pram until your baby is ‘fully’ asleep. And if they stir or wake early from their nap, don’t hesitate in helping them back to sleep with more rocking (even if your baby self settles at home).
Time of outings: Try to schedule your outings to suit you and your baby. Ideally this will be heading out the house well before baby’s nap to allow for feeds, nappy change and cuddles and plan on staying out until they have woken (transferring from pram to car is whole other skill).
Implement all of the above for each and every out and about sleep and you will be sure to have success. Once your baby has mastered out and about sleep make sure to keep it up regularly as they can quickly lose the skills.
This article was written by:
Jessie Stott, Founder Awaken Wellness
Baby Sleep online program - Learn the fundamental first steps to baby sleep with this simple online program created for all parenting styles. Filled with practical advice, you will learn how to encourage natural and developmentally age appropriate sleep habits for your baby. Suitable for newborns to 3 years. What every parent needs to know before considering sleep training.
