Many parents get thrown off when the summer comes and school is out. For some, their baby may not sleep to begin with and then all the extra summer fun, bright sunshine and being on the go, can make things worse and leave mom and dad feeling, more exhausted than ever. The other case can be that parent shave an amazing little sleeper on their hands, but due to more events, and summertime fun and late night ice-cream shop visits, sleep can go sideways and come Fall, your dreamy sleeper has become, well, not such a dreamy sleeper anymore.
Summer Sleep 101
For Those With a Bad Sleeper To Begin With:
1. Getting your child sleep down pat before the holidays will make patio and BBQ season way less stressful. You can enjoy things knowing your little one is napping properly and getting a full nights sleep EVEN with all the excitement. Once a child knows how to sleep, there schedule will be much easier to manage and stresses will be much lower.
Imagine, date nights out with your loved one knowing your baby isn’t going to wake numerous times for the sitter….
Or hosting a BBQ and being able to put your baby down in a few minutes so you can return to your guests….
Or going to in-laws for dinner and not having to rush off because if not your child will never go to sleep and will be H*LL…Why not put them down where you are, enjoy your visit and head back home an transfer back to bed when you arrive home without a fuss?
Just sayin’ all these things are possible.
2. Make sure you set the tone for a good day by making sure the AM nap is at home as this will really determine what the rest of your day will be like and as you know, a cranky overtired baby on hand is not fun for anyone!
3. Even if you are in a rush to get home after an outing and you are just going to make it for nap or night time, make sure you still do a proper routine (even if you have to speed it up) to help your child know its time for sleep and prepare them.
4. Black out your baby or toddlers room. Use black out blinds and blackout curtains if you have to. Dark is best for naps and nighttime sleep
For Those Who Want To Keep Their Sleep Champ On Track
1. Even though the summer is full of events, treats and later nights, make sure to still honour your child’s sleep. If you are on the go, time the car ride during a nap window so at least your little one can have a snooze before more excitement
2. If bedtime has been stretched late one night, try and get back on track the next day so too much sleep debt doesn’t accumulate
3. If people are visiting and its your child’s bedtime, don’t feel bad by scooting away for a few minutes to do bedtime to make sure your child gets the rest they need
4. Boycott the icecream truck going down your street at 6:45 pm and avoid those sugary treats prior to bedtime so your child’s sleep window doesn’t get missed as he sugar buzzing beyond the point of no return and it take 2 hours for them to fall asleep
5. If you are camping or doing lots of trips where the only choice is for your little one to sleep with you, and if you typically do not co-sleep, I strongly suggest making sure once you are back home it is business as usual or you will see some major changes happen, which, if you want your child in their crib or bed, you will not like.
Enjoy your summer rested, happy and hopefully with a frosty beverage in hand. You deserve it!
Sleep on! (or, get sleep on track- its blissful. Really. We can help you – in 10 days or less!)