One of the biggest stressors for a lot of parents when traveling with a baby is sleep. Making sure your little one gets enough rest is important, but I want to give you some encouragement: if your baby's schedule gets thrown off for a day, it's okay. You aren't a bad parent, and your baby will be fine.

Travel days can easily mess with a baby's schedule, so instead of trying to keep the exact same schedule as normal, encourage them to sleep while you're moving (2 hour stretches), and be awake while you're stopped (45 minute breaks). Of course, if your baby is really young (0-6 months) this is likely much like their normal schedule anyways, but even with a baby 6-12 months you're usually having several naps throughout the day.

The trick to achieving this is in executing your car stops well. During your car stops you'll not only be taking car of your baby's immediate needs, but you'll also be setting them up for a successful nap once you hit the road again.

Here are a few tips to help your little one sleep on the road:

1. Make sure they're freshly fed and changed before starting each driving stretch.
2. Let your baby stretch and play as much as possible before starting a driving stretch.
3. Bring a sound machine to play if that's what they're used to.
4. Bring any comfort items they're used to, such as a blanket or stuffie.
5. Make sure the car isn't too hot or cold for them. Regularly check on them to make sure they don't feel too hot or cold to the touch.
6. Make sure your baby is AWAKE during each stop. Get them moving and get their wiggles out!
7. Give your baby as much fresh air as possible during your car stops. Roll down the windows while you're feeding, or sit outside. If the weather is too cold for this, try and stop somewhere where you can at least get out of your car (like a fast food restaurant) to change up the scenery for your little one.

Tomorrow, we'll dive into the next lesson: Stretches.