This article is for all of the Mama’s that are wondering how to get their baby to finally take a nap in the pram, successfully. We are here to give you some tips because we absolutely don’t want you to be stuck at home each and every day, we’ve been there and after a while we all go crazy. I’m sure you’ll agree even a change of scenery (maybe with a coffee in hand) does wonders for us Mama’s.  

So first things first, it is absolutely possible and healthy to teach your baby to sleep in places other than their cot. The sleep might not be as long as restorative the same as when you bub is at home but no doubt they have another nap to come that day so hopefully they will just sleep a little longer on their next sleep if the pram nap is shorter than usual. 

So how can it work? You might have tried it before and it failed. We hear it a lot "my baby just won't sleep in their pram". It's also something many people ask before they engage in our services because they don't want to hear from a Sleep Consultant that they must stay home for the entire duration of their sleep plan. It's only fair for you to want the best of both worlds right? You want your baby to sleep well but you also want to be able to enjoy yourself and look after your own needs. Some days you just need to get things done and it's hard to get things done if you can't leave the house. We hear you from all the way over here.

 You will be glad to hear that we encourage you to get out. We don't encourage you to be out all day every day, but we do encourage you to do a pram nap out of the house regularly. We can only take being isolated at home with a baby for so long before we start to go a little crazy. We will be one of the first to tell you that YOU MUST GET OUT AND ABOUT for your own balance. Cot naps are more restorative finding a healthy balance is just as important in our opinion.

Katie managed to travel to NYC last year and still have her 2 year old continue to take a long restorative nap while she was out and about enjoying the scenery. Her holiday was easier because she was able to do lunches out and enjoy in the activities with her husband and 4 year old which she wouldn't have been able to do if Jude didn't sleep well out of his cot. There was no disruption to his routine or sleep needs and Katie soaked up that much needed getaway. BLISS!!!

So how do you do this? Below you can read our tips on getting out and about with a napping baby or toddler. 

Tip 1 - Teach your baby from a young age to sleep in places other than at home. Do this from the beginning and your baby will get used to this from a young age. Walk around the block, go to the coffee shop or stroll the shops. Whatever your heart desires.

Tip 2 - Timing is the most critical thing for success with napping out of the house. 

·        Poorly timed - baby is put down in the pram too early when their nap isn't due. They spend too much time laying about in the pram before they are due to sleep that when the time comes around to sleep they don't have enough drive to sleep. 

·        Too late - baby is kept awake longer than their ideal awake window, has become overstimulated, overtired and is having trouble settling off to sleep.

I am not talking about sleepy newborns here. For babies who are a little older I recommend popping them in the pram only 10 minutes before their nap is due, a well-timed pram nap is often more successful.

Tip 3 - Don't forget the comforters. Whatever your baby would usually sleep with (dummy, comforter, blanket etc.) these must be taken with you.

Tip 4 - Cover the pram SAFELY. Remember the darker and more boring the sleep environment the better. This includes the pram as well. If your little one is able to see all of the exciting stuff going on then it's likely that they won't want to miss out on the fun. Check out the pram covers from SnoozeShade - use code SLUMBER10 for 10% off.

Tip 5 - Motion. Some babies will fall asleep in the pram with the pram stationary, many won't. If your little one isn't drifting off to sleep without motion then go for a walk or give the pram a rock back and forth. 

Tip 6 - If you have a pram nap fail the first few times don't get disheartened, they don't always go to plan. I always recommend to keep giving it a try even if it's just for one nap every few days or once a week. 

A baby on a routine does not need to have every single nap at home in their cot. As mentioned above, we don't recommend that a baby sleeps out of the house for every nap either, cot sleeps are important and for most naps this is what we recommend. But remember, BALANCE!!!! Everyone needs balance. Napping out and about isn't so much about your baby, it's about YOU and YOU are important as well.

If you have any questions or need support send us a message.

 Katie & Hayley xx