Will I be tied to a rigid schedule, i.e., "Nap Trapped"?

I know a lot of parents who are worried about sacrificing flexibility in order to have a "good sleeper." I will tell you from my own experience and all of the friends and clients I've supported, this is not the case. The truth is, when you have a well-rested baby or toddler, you actually have more flexibility because you're not carrying around a ticking time-bomb.

Whether your child is on 3 naps, 1 nap, or has outgrown naps, if he is regularly getting the sleep he needs and thriving on a (mostly) predictable schedule, he will be better equipped to handle a later night if dinner with friends runs long or full days out at the beach on vacation with the family, where naps look different from normal.

Most recently, we were on a trip in southern Utah that involved two days of scenic drives after a full day of car travel to get there. Our little guy (22 months at the time) only got 30 minute car naps instead of his usual 2 to 3 hour crib nap, but he rallied like a champ, and we put him to bed earlier those nights to make up for it. When we returned home, he fell right back into his regular routine.

We like to go camping, take our kids to football games, have dinner out with friends and their kids...all the things. But when we're in our regular daily routine, the kids' schedules are consistent and predictable. Doing "all the things" can't happen every day, or we'd all be overtired and cranky, but having kiddos who are generally well-rested because of solid sleep foundations and consistent age-appropriate routines, allows you to say "yes" more often to family trips and fun outings. Why? Because well-rested kids can self-regulate better and are generally more flexible.

Now, while you're sleep training (overnight or naps) in the beginning, sticking to the schedule and being home for those longer naps when possible is very important. But, this is a short time period; once those healthy independent sleep habits are formed, then you can stray from the schedule when needed. Just to be sure to always get back on track afterward!