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Nap times were sacred when my daughter was a baby. While Maytal slept soundly in her crib, I got one full hour (or maybe two!) to get work done or stream an episode of Scandal. I was proud of her consistent schedule. But on days when I was desperate to run errands or just get out and see other adults, it felt like house arrest. Would a nap in the stroller or car be just as good?or wreak havoc on her sleep"
There?s no one-size-fits-all answer, says Shelly Weiss, a neurologist and director of the sleep/neurology clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. However, she doesn?t recommend a nap on the go for little ones older than six months. ?This is the age when, as much as possible, it?s better to be in the crib for naptime,? she says. So what happened to your oh-so-portable baby" Newborns haven?t yet developed a circadian rhythm, the biological process that helps us sleep at night and be awake during the day, explains Weiss. In those early months, infants can pretty much sleep anytime, anywhere. But after six months, babies? sleep cycles begin to sync up with the 24-hour clock, and their daytime naps start to affect their ability to sleep through the night. ?Children who can self-soothe for daytime sleep are more likely to sleep through the night,? says Weiss. ?When they nap in the car or stroller, they?re not self-soothing, because they?re being rocked or moved as they fall asleep.? Babywearing (in carriers, ...