How to get later bedtimes for SUMMER!

Summer time is here! (Well, almost….)

Going to the lake, camping, backyard BBQ’s, and basically anything outdoors that Covid-19 will allow us to do. The problem being…you have a sleep trained baby that needs to be in bed by 7pm on the D O T.

What can we do to help our babies stay up a little bit later so we can enjoy a little bit more of our summer, but not mess up their sleep schedule too much?

Well, the first thing we are going to do is to focus on their schedule. I have an awake time schedule posted here that you can screenshot and save to your phone. Depending on your child’s age, I want you to focus on their awake time. If you have a great napper and you want to extend bedtime, then I want you to let your great napper nap an extra 15-30 minutes during their last nap of the day. That way we can push bedtime out by 30-45 minutes. If they usually nap from 2-3:30, we would let them sleep until closer to 4pm. That way bedtime can be around 7:30-8:00pm.

The last awake time of the day (the awake time between the last nap and bedtime) is always the longest awake time of the day and this is usually where we can ‘stretch’ our children a little more.

If your baby ISN’T an awesome napper, but they’re pretty consistent - giving you 45-60 minutes of naps at a time, then what you could also do is to give them an extra little cat nap in the evening. Usually around 4:30-5pm is generally when a successful catnap happens. Usually the best type of nap for a catnap is one that involves motion. Whether it be in the car, the stroller, or even in strapped into the baby carrier.

One thing to note, is that if you are pushing bedtime later, we can’t expect morning to be later too. Our babies have an internal body clock that helps to regulate their own personal schedule. If they are used to waking at 7am every day, chances are, they’ll wake around 7am even if their bedtime was pushed to 9pm the night before.

So, if we are consistently putting them to bed later, it could warrant a later wakeup. BUT if we are only doing it here and there, then their general wakeup time will remain the same.

Most importantly - HAVE FUN this summer!! Stick an 80/20 consistency rule. This means that 80% of sleep happens in the right place at the right time (crib), and the other 20% can be up in the air. Whether they be carseat naps, naps on the go, a skipped nap, early bedtime, etc.

Remember that you can always do early bedtime if naps were spotty that day. Don’t stress about your child’s nap schedule too too much. I want you to enjoy your summer, love on your baby, and try to be as consistent as you can - you deserve it!

And just know that no sleep ‘problem’ is too hard to fix. If it feels like things are too far gone, send me a message and we can definitely work out a customized sleep plan for you that includes guided support!

Xoxo,

Bailey

PS. If you are going to be on the go a ton, then I would highly recommend investing in a blackout “nap” option for your child. That way you can have naps at the camper, the beach, on a walk, etc.
The Slumberpod is my favourite baby product EVER - here is the link for it. Be sure to use my discount code: midnightmama to save $20 at checkout!
The Snoozeshade is also a wonderful baby product for naps on the go! They have awesome breathable blackout options for the stroller, and even for overtop of the playpen. Here is the link for their website. Be sure to use my discount code: midnightmama10 for a rebate at checkout.