Why napping outside is great for your baby
How fresh air benefits your child and what you should keep in mind as we head into the colder seasons.
Recently Annie Samples, a Denmark-based American content creator and mom of four, shared a TikTok video showing seemingly abandoned strollers with sleeping babies all over Danish cities. The video went viral and left especially American moms in a state of shock and disbelief. Spoiler alert - parents don’t actually leave their babies completely unsupervised and often keep a baby monitor and thermometer inside the stroller.
It is a common practice in many Nordic and central European countries to leave sleeping babies and toddlers in their strollers outside of cafes or restaurants while parents head inside, sip their coffee and enjoy a break. It is a popular parenting advice to take kids outside for multiple hours every day despite the cold temperatures because “fresh air is good for babies.” But what EXACTLY does being outside do for your little ones sleep and development?
Let’s look at exactly how GOOD fresh air is for little ones.
A Finnish study on sleep quality of babies outside during the winter months (mind you, outdoor temperatures ranged between -27 and +5 degrees C there) gathered parents’ experiences. Outdoor naps are taken for granted at least once a day and here are some of the benefits the majority of parents identified:
LONGER naps
Napping outdoors increases the quality of sleep, enabling longer naps compared to indoors, resulting in more rested babies. The study found that cold temperatures actually help extend sleeping hours assuming the baby is dressed and bundled up appropriately.
HIGHER immunity
We’ve probably all heard “it’s too cold outside, baby will catch a cold”. It is a common misconception that cold air causes infections. In reality, bacteria and viruses cause infections. If your little one stays indoors during flu season, the same air circulates throughout the house, increasing the risk of spreading the germs. When babies nap outdoors with proper clothing, they may have fewer colds and higher immunity.
BETTER circadian rhythms
Longer exposure to natural sunlight will help your little one establish their circadian rhythm faster, leading to improved sleep cycles. (And parents LOVE reliable sleep cycles!)
A 2004 study found that babies who spent more time in the sunlight slept better than babies who didn’t. When babies get sufficient sunlight exposure especially during early afternoon periods, their bodies will produce melatonin at night, which will help them fall and stay asleep.
They NAP anywhere
The natural environment - chirping birds, the sound of the wind, rustling of leaves or even constant big city buzz - all helps your baby to fall asleep faster. It’s their natural white noise machine that encourages them to become aware of their surroundings and fall asleep to nature’s sounds. Eventually, they’ll develop the ability of being able to sleep anywhere as they start associating external stimuli as a cue to fall asleep.
ACCELERATED cognitive development
As previously mentioned, there are a lot of sounds surrounding us outdoors. Adding other sensory stimuli like the warmth of sunlight and feeling the wind on their skin makes for a lot of information your baby’s brain needs to process. It constantly creates new neural pathways boosting their cognitive, motor, and language abilities.
Glüxkind infant bassinet is perfect for dreamy outdoor naps
If you have been following us for a while, you know that we are proud of our German roots. It is very common to take babies outside regardless of the weather conditions in Germany. For that and many other reasons, we designed our infant bassinet for the Glüxkind smart stroller to be the perfect companion for any weather, keeping your little one safe and comfortable.
You are wondering why you should get a bassinet? Check out the benefits in a previous blog post - some of them might really surprise you.
But what makes our Glüxkind infant bassinet so perfect for any weather? Here are the features for cold and hot weather and anything in between.
Smart design doesn’t always have to include technology to be super handy for your daily adventures.
Cold days
Warm and cosy mattress protecting from the cold
Extra padding inside the bassinet keeping the warmth inside
Bassinet cover with extra padding that closes tightly with zippers
Enough space for winter onesies, or other safe for sleep clothing underneath the cover
Large canopy that can extend way down keeping wind outside while allowing sufficient ventilation
Water resistant surfaces keeping light rain outside and your baby dry
Hot days
Large canopy for extra shade and sun protection
SPF 50+ rated fabrics
One entire segment that can be opened up as a mesh segment allowing better airflow while still providing shade (see image)
Integrated mosquito net folds out of canopy and closes tightly around the bassinet
Special airflow opening at the front quarter of the bassinet (see image) for extra circulation while walking
Secret vents integrated in the bottom of the bassinet that can be opened and closed as needed
The Glüxkind smart stroller “Ella” comes with the infant bassinet and toddler seat. With those products at hand you are set for great naps outdoors all year round. Remember what they say - “fresh air is good for babies” - and they definitely do have a point.
It’s important to keep in mind that irrespective of where your baby sleeps, you should follow the AAP’s safe sleep guidelines.
Happy napping!
The Glüxkind family
Post inspired by our friends from Cradlewise.
