Myth Busting: Restorative Sleep – What You Need to Know

This might be the best thing you read all day… It doesn’t matter where, or for how long, your baby sleeps as long as they sleep!

Restorative sleep is defined as uninterrupted sleep. Sleep does not need to be in a crib, in a dark room, or specifically be a 2-hour nap for it to be restorative. In fact, some babies will sleep much better on the go than in a crib and will therefore get increased restorative sleep in a stroller, in the car, or in a carrier. 

As I advise all parents who come to me for sleep support, it’s important to find what works for you and your little one. If you’re finding that getting your child to sleep (and stay asleep!) is getting harder and harder, then experiment with their sleep environment but they do not need to sleep in any specific place/environment for restorative sleep. 

What is ideal is for your baby/child to have full sleep cycles whenever possible, as each stage of sleep has different health benefits. But not every single nap needs to be a full sleep cycle…sometimes there is no stopping the 10-minute car nap for the baby (or the adult passengers!).