Another major holiday means another round of all my best tips for handling the events that are likely to throw off the sleep schedule! For most people, Thanksgiving centers around a big meal with family and friends, so let’s chat about how you can handle sleep in the midst of this big celebration!
The timing of your child’s nap(s) and the timing of the Thanksgiving meal are going to factor into which of these strategies will be most useful for you, so simply select the one that makes the most sense for your circumstances!
Car Seat Naps
If you have a long drive to your destination, you may want to utilize a car seat nap.
It’s perfectly alright for kids to nap in car seats, as long as the car seats are properly installed in a car (car seat naps out of the car can be unsafe because Baby’s head can move into a position that cuts off the air supply!).
It’s very likely that Baby will only take a one-cycle nap (30-45 minutes), but getting some sleep is better than none!
Nap at the Thanksgiving Location
If you’re going to a family member or close friend’s house, you may be able to arrive early or leave late to fit in a nap while you’re at their home.
Personally, I always keep my pack and play and SlumberPod in my car so that anytime (holiday or not!) I need my toddler to nap away from home, the two biggest things she needs to nap are already packed up and ready to go! Remember to also pack a sound machine, sleep sack/swaddle, and any other sleep associations your little one is used to (blanket, stuffed animal, etc.) to make the nap as seamless as possible.
Early Nap/Late Nap
If you have a Baby who is willing to take naps a little earlier or later than usual, and that’s what you need to make the timing of everything work out, go for it!
Any nap is typically better than no nap, so if you can sneak a little bit of day sleep into the afternoon, it’ll help Baby survive all the excitement of the holiday. Just keep in mind that sometimes a nap outside the ordinary timing can lead to crankiness — even if Baby got a great nap!
Skip the Nap
If you have an older child (18m+) who only takes one nap, you may be able to skip the nap entirely if you want to!
Oftentimes holiday gatherings mean there is a lot of stimulation for kids, including new sights, smells, and activities, as well as more playmates than usual! If you don’t want your little one to miss out on all the fun or the big meal, go ahead and keep Baby up! Most kids do fine for a while because of all the excitement, and many kids would fight a nap in this scenario.
Then, if you can, give Baby an earlier bedtime that night — 1-2 hours earlier than their normal bedtime. Baby may immediately crash from being so tired, or Baby may put up more of a fight than usual due to a bit of overtiredness, but Baby will eventually fall asleep.
If you plan to stay past Baby’s bedtime, you can either take your chances with a late bedtime for Baby or start Baby’s night sleep in the pack and play.
If you opt for an extra late bedtime, just make sure to prioritize sleep over the next few days to help Baby recover the lost sleep. Try naps and bedtime a little early (usually just 15 minutes) and let them run a little late, too.
If you want to start the night in the pack and play, follow your normal bedtime routine and lay Baby down! Then when it’s time to go, transfer Baby to the car seat. Baby may or may not wake up during the transfer, and depending on the length of your drive, Baby may or may not fall back asleep on the drive. So there are lots of variables, but it’s still definitely an option!
Sleep Recovery
Your child will almost certainly need to recover lost sleep if they skip the nap entirely, but they may also need to recover some sleep even if they get a nap.
In holiday scenarios, the nap(s) are usually shorter, lower quality, or simply off schedule, all of which can lead to lost sleep. Recover that sleep with earlier (by about 15 min.) bedtimes and naptimes over the next few days, for as long as feels necessary.
However you choose to handle naps, don’t forget to celebrate the holiday! I know how easy it is to stress about making sure Baby gets good sleep, but just remember — if your child’s sleep gets thrown off for a fun day/evening of family celebrations and traditions, they can always recover that sleep over the next few days.
Get Baby whatever sleep you can, but don’t let the sleep rule the day. Sleep is important, and so is living your life! Look for the balance between the two :)