Depending on your family age range, naps may or may not be at the top of your mind when planning a trip. Older kids tend to go go go a lot longer than younger siblings, that goes without saying. But naps still play an important part of any family trip.
Most younger kids will eventually nap in a car on a longer roadtrip. While this may mean some much needed silence for Mom and Dad, it can soon backfire when it’s 10pm at night and Mom and Dad can barely keep their eyes open as their 5 year old bounces off the walls with a ton of energy.
The benefits of napping are many for both old and young alike so make sure you plan in time each day for a quick 10-20 minute cat nap for the adults. This will go a long way towards reducing stress, clearing your mind and giving you a boost in energy to carry on with the day. Children, even teenagers, have a strong need for naps while traveling. Whether by air, land or sea, the large amount of new data coming in through all five senses can leave children more frazzled than they know how to express. A nap any time of the day will help reset the tank and make them more available to fill up on more new experiences.
Look for natural rhythms to know if a nap is good for your child. You know your child best, but don’t assume that as your 4 year old is now grown out of the need for a nap at home most days, that there isn’t a natural low in her activity level most of the time. Those lows will be exaggerated when on the road and manifest in either outright fitfulness, or sleep. Without the security of everyday surroundings, downtime will be needed to help keep calm in the family.
On your next trip, try to schedule in some nap time in those 7 non-stop days away from home. Everyone benefits when a family is well rested!
