A Late Night Out with Your Baby on Halloween
We’ve all been there. It’s Halloween night, everyone’s getting ready to go trick or treating, and the fun starts right around your baby’s bedtime. You don’t want to miss out, but you also don’t want an overtired baby or a night of chaos once you get home. Sound familiar?
If so, you’re not alone! As a baby sleep consultant, I promise it’s totally okay to keep your baby out a little later once in a while. One night of costumes, candy, and excitement isn’t going to ruin their sleep. Sleep is a skill, and your baby won’t forget it just because bedtime looks a little different for one night.
With that being said, here are 3 things you can do to help the late night be easier on you and your baby:
Add in an extra nap that day if you can. Adding in extra day sleep will help your baby be less tired at night, and therefore make it easier for them to stay up later.
Make the power nap a full nap! If you are still on a 3 nap schedule (2 naps + 1 power nap), make the power nap a full, 1-2 hour nap. Again, the idea is to add in more day sleep so your baby is more awake later at night.
Push baby’s schedule back by 15-20 minutes per nap so their bedtime falls at a later time. This is the best option if you are planning to be home 1-1.5 hours later than their typical bedime :)
I’ll keep this short and sweet, but if you want more tips for keeping your baby out a little later on nights like Halloween, I did a full podcast episode all about late nights. Trick or treating with a baby isn’t about doing it all, it’s about being present, soaking it in, and letting yourself enjoy the night too.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN,