When it comes to sleep, everyone is different. We all have our particular preferences and standards for what is needed to get a good night’s sleep. One big talking point when it comes to discussing sleep routines is this: what temperature do you want it to be in your bedroom? Are you someone who feels they run hot when they sleep so they insist on keeping the room as cold as possible? Or on the flip side do you always find yourself cold at night and try to bundle up with as many blankets as possible? Both sides of the debate are common.
However, the debate seems to be in the limelight more than ever with discourse popularized on Tik Tok. You see, in Nordic countries, there is a common trend of parents putting their babies outside for naps. In places such as Finland, Denmark, and Norway, you will see strollers left outside with a sleeping baby.
Watch on TikTok
It is the norm in Nordic countries to leave your baby and stroller outside while you pop into a coffee shop to get something to drink or eat. If your baby is asleep, bringing them into a noisy environment like a cafe may wake them up Parents feel safety and comfort in this practice as it commonplace across the country and it may also inform more as to why this practice is popular in this part of the world.
Babies are used to sleeping outside while their parents run various errands so it makes sense that parents would continue to utilize strollers as safe places for their babies to sleep. When it comes to putting their babies outside for naps, parents are taking every precaution necessary.
Of course, places like Denmark, Finland, etc can get very cold. Temperatures in Finland for example, can drop to as low as 8°F on average in the winter months. It can get even colder depending where in Finland you are. So of course keeping baby warm is the key. As this Danish mother on Tik Tok shows:
Watch on TikTok
TLDR: What Your Baby Needs to Stay Warm Sleeping Outside
Clothes:
- Thin Wool Body Suit
- Wool Socks
- Mittens
- Boots
- Wool Jumpsuit
- Double Layered Balaclava
Accessories:
- Insulated Stroller
- Medical Grade Sheepskin
- Wind and Waterproof Down Sleeping Bag
- Extra Wool Blanket (If Necessary)
- Cover for Stroller
- Lanolin Cream
Studies have suggested that sleeping outside can give babies longer and more restful sleep. Another part of the logic expressed by Sleep Expert, Katie Palmer, suggests that your baby is exposed to less germs outside as well. Some experts push caution on allowing your child to sleep outside depending on the conditions. In the summer months you have to be careful about sun exposure and in the winter months you want to be sure your baby is properly bundled. It is all about making sure your baby is properly prepared.
It is a part of Nordic culture to encourage children spend as much time outside as possible. Daycare centers in Denmark even have areas that are reserved purely for nap time outside. A common phrase uttered is "there is no bad weather, only bad clothes". Some parents will go the extra mile and install baby cameras in their strollers so they can keep an eye on their baby while they are inside or some will even keep a thermometer in the stroller to know exactly what temp it is inside for their baby.
So what do you think? Would you ever allow your baby to sleep outside like they do in Nordic countries?
