What do you do when your babies fall asleep in the car??

[bnme]

My DS naps once a day. The best time for his nap is around 1pm (usually 2 hours). But lately he has been falling asleep in the car during our morning errands. I find if I wake him (not really purposely -but in transferring him to the stroller when we arrive at our detination) that that's it for the day --meaning he won't take a nap later. I have started just sitting in the car in the parking lot of the mall or where ever with him in order to preserve that seemingly one-chance-only nap. I have tried getting him to nap at home in the am, thinking maybe he needed it, but it seems to happen only randomly in the car.

When I say the best time for his nap is 1pm I mean the time he seems to get the most benefit from it. If he naps before lunch he seems to get tired by about 430 -but won't sleep again. He goes to bed at 630.

Not sure what to do anymore! I rather he nap at home, and I am willing to arrange our schedule around that, but what do I do if he does fall asleep in the car instead? It's getting hard to arrange our day, never knowing when he is going to sleep! Should I wake him and try to get him to nap later - and if he doesn't not worry about it?

Just wondering what you guys would do....

[flagger]

My life consists of a pretty defined routine. I find that sticking to it somewhat has allowed Cocoa to get regular naps be they at a regular time or maybe a little later even if she has fallen asleep in the car or our errands have taken longer than normal.

[COElizabeth]

My DS is the same way. If he falls asleep in the car even for 2 minutes at 11 AM, it is almost always impossible to get him to take his afternoon nap at around 1:30. I can leave him in his crib for over an hour, and he doesn't go back to sleep. Many days I just don't go anywhere until after his nap, or I go somewhere CLOSE early enough in the morning that he doesn't fall asleep on the way home.

On the days when he does fall asleep in the car around lunchtime or early afternoon, it it is warm enough (but not too warm) I do sometimes leave him in his car seat with the car doors open, the garage door to the outside shut, and the garage door to the house open so I can hear him as soon as he wakes up. He will wake up if I try to transfer him to his crib. If it's too cold or hot to leave him in the car, I just have to wake him up or drive around a while longer to let him sleep more.

I really envy people like my sister, who could almost always transfer her kids to the crib and have them stay asleep!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

[brigmaman]

We're having this problem as well. Ds will sleep in the afternoon (never before 12) if we stay home all day. But...if we go out anywhere from 11AM on, he will conk after about 5 minutes in the car. The few activities that are available to us around here are all around 11AM and about 10 minutes away, so I end up just trying to keep him awake until we reach our destination which has been pretty fruitless!
If we're on our way home (if I have errands I try to run them before 10) then I can transfer him into our house, but his naps are never as long.
I don't know how big your little guy is, but is there a carrier/sling you could transfer him until he wakes? I know you are expecting, so this may be impractical. I just bought a pouch for Brig for this reason.
One of the things I do is run errands early. If we're going shopping anywhere it is usually at least a half hour away. So if I have to wake ds, there is a chance he may sleep on the way home.
It is hard to plan right now. Luckily it's really cold so we haven't been going out much. If it were summer, he'd probably never sleep more than 15 minutes!

[gour0]

If he falls asleep in the car, I let him sleep. I always try to have a book with me when we go out. I just park the car wherever our destination is and then wait for him to wake up. DH says I'm coddling him, but honestly, I'm the one who has to live with it when he's miserable from lack of sleep!

[houseof3boys]

Since Ryan rarely naps anywhere except our bed, I am so thankful when he does fall asleep in the car. What do I do? Well, I drove 10 extra minutes past my exit last time since I was scared if I slowed down or stop, he would wake up. If I am almost home or at the store and his 30 minute mark (his max time for napping in the car...ever) is up, I just stay in the car and read a catalog. I keep them in the car for rare occasions like this!!

Never wake a sleeping baby is our motto. :)

[khakismom]

My kids don't transfer well either--moving them from the car seat to the crib just kills the nap. So if I am somewhere else, I would hang out in the car and read a book or check out a magazine or catalog, and let them sleep. If at home, and it's warm enough, I leave them in the car with a few doors open and the door open to the garage. That way, I can hear them when they wake up. Kathleen slept this way once for 45 minutes!

[Dcclerk]

I'm the same. I always have a book in the car for this purpose. And DS once slept for an hour and 45 min!

[jec2]

Ok, me too! Finn hates the car and usually screams his head off. BUT, last week he fell asleep on our way home (I had wanted to go Downtown but w/his screaming I said forget it so I turned around and was headeed home when he fell asleep) So, I drove around for 2 hours! Yep, down the coast 1/2 hour, back up the coast and then back down to Babies R Us 45 minutes away. I called DH every half hour laughing that the baby was still sleeping and I was still driving. I burned thru a half a tank of gas! But, it was our longest nap so far. Now, here I am debating on whether to go downtown. I've been trying to put DS to sleep for 2 hours now and he's just playing and playing and yawming and playing. I'm being held prisoner to my home.

My SIL used to let my niece just nap in the car. She'd usually fall asleep while finishing up the errands, then would just come over to my parent's where they have a private and enclosed driveway. Niece would just nap in the car--sometimes for an hour or more.

[teddy]

I let DD sleep in the car. I've been known to drive around for an hour just to let her sleep. I also keep a book in the car. Right now I'm reading Mr. Maybe by Jane Green. It's okay. I enjoyed the Nanny Diaries much better!

[votre_ami03]

I second the pouch. If Nolan falls asleep mid-errand, I can transfer him from the car to the pouch w/out a prob. I don't have the same success w/car to stroller.


Christy, mommy to Nolan 7/22/03

[bnme]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who will sit in the car with him just to get the nap in. My DH thinks I am spoiling him too, but I rather he be rested! I am just worried about how I will handle this when baby #2 comes along! But that's 5+ months away and I'm sure DS's routine will have changed a gazzilion times by then so no need to worry now.
:)

I don't think the sling/carrier would work for us. I haven't used one in a while and I think it would kill my back. I am starting to get lower back pains by mid afternoon just from the usual lifting and carrying already.

Thanks all.

[Bethann31]

I really had no idea so many people actually drove their children around or waited for them to finish a nap. I admire that, as I've never done it. I guess my kids just got used to catnaps in the car the same way I catnap in the car if I'm not driving. None of them have been very scheduled, because my life is hectic and they have all had to be flexible, so I guess they have all adapted. One more reason for them all to end up in therapy, I suppose.....:)

Beth
mom to 3 (13, 11 and 9) and then 1 more (06/04/03)

[jubilee]

With my DS I usually wait until right after his morning nap to go anywhere. That is a good plan for us because then he is rested and in a good mood. However, on the few times that didn't work out and he fell asleep in the car on the way home I just recline my seat and take a few zzzz's too. But I like the book suggestion, I will have to stock my diaper bag.

[sunny2003]

Just wanted to add that both parent and child units of our baby monitor has batteries - when I get home and dd is sleeping, I leave the baby monitor with her and put on the parent units in the house to listen to her. I can even hear her snoring!

HTH!

Viv
Mommy to Kayley born on 4/28/03

[sunny2003]

Just wanted to add that both parent and child units of our baby monitor has batteries - when I get home and dd is sleeping, I leave the baby monitor with her and put on the parent units in the house to listen to her. I can even hear her snoring!

HTH!

Viv
Mommy to Kayley born on 4/28/03

[wendmatt]

I know how you feel, it gets so frustrating....should you go out and risk messing up the naps or wait until after nap time but then it's time to organise supper etc. At the moment it depends what time dd wakes up. She's been naughty and getting up at 5am, so is ready for a morning nap at 8 or 9. We'll go out after then. If she sleeps till 6 and I want to go out, I drive the long way around so she gets a 35 min power nap and then will take a proper afternoon nap. If she falls asleep in the car on the way home she won't go back off (impossible to transfer her) and she's miserable all afternoon! If I keep driving she'll stay asleep, if I park she'll only sleep total 35 mins so I have driven for a while sometimes! If She's asleep I wait till she wakes up.