How to Help Infants Sleep During a Road Trip
It can be difficult to keep an infant content for long periods of time while on a long-distance road trip. Bumpy rides, swerving turns and car seat discomfort can make a recipe for disaster. Here are some handy tips for keeping a child asleep during a road trip.
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Instructions
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Helping an Infant Sleep During a Road Trip
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Keep the route as straight and easy as possible. Children have a natural tendency to fall asleep during a car trip, but if there are several turns or excessively bumpy roads, that peaceful slumber can be easily interrupted. If the baby is awakened suddenly, she may be startled and begin to cry. It may be best to take a little extra time to map out your route ahead of time and create a balanced route.
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Make the music light. It's tempting during a long car ride to crank up the AC/DC and rock out on the open road, but the loud volume will not be so rockin' for the baby. He can easily be roused from a deep sleep or kept from falling asleep by loud, fast-paced music. There is a reason why mothers sing lullabies to their children. It may make for a less enthusiastic ride, but keeping the music to easily listening or even CDs of lullabies will make for a happier trip.
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Be prepared for pit stops. During a long car ride, the odds are good that a baby will become hungry or soiled even if this is taken care of before leaving for the trip. You should be prepared to make a few pit stops for bottle feedings and diaper changes if needed. A full baby is a happy baby, and babies will often fall asleep soon after feeding. Also, a soiled or soaked diaper can be uncomfortable and irritate the infant's skin. If you keep your child dry and fed, he should be much more willing to sleep for a longer period.
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Avoid multiple stops. While it is important to be prepared to take care of a child's needs such as feeding and diapering, frequent stops for other reasons will serve to interrupt his sleep, especially if the child is taken in and out of the car. It is also important to structure the trip around his natural nap times to add further reassurance that he will sleep through the majority of the trip.
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Provide only limited stimulation. An infant's senses are still pretty new. Car seats with stuffed animals hanging down or toys that spin or squeak are great for keeping them occupied, but will not do anything for getting them to fall asleep. It's best to remove all of that and let them stare at the passing shapes out the window. Their eyesight hasn't progressed enough to see things clearly, but they can see the shapes and colors passing by. This type of focused stimulation is more likely to get them to fall asleep.
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Tips & Warnings
Warning for newborns. This is not recommended for newborns or infants who may have difficulty keeping their heads elevated. Young children have not developed the instinct to keep their heads up, and their heads may slump or move to the side. If they fall asleep in an elevated position such as in a car seat, it could lead to asphyxiation.
References
- Photo Credit J. Zuidema
