Let’s face it, sometimes things come up, and we have to veer from a child’s typical schedule. When this happens, it’s not uncommon for parents to worry about how the disruption to their child’s schedule will affect their sleep, especially when they’ve worked hard to develop healthy sleep habits.
With a little advanced planning, you may be able to enjoy your night out and ensure your child’s sleep doesn’t suffer as a consequence. If your 16 month old usually takes 1 nap per day, you can shift naptime an hour earlier and limit the nap to just 1 hour; allowing your child the opportunity for a second nap about 4 hours later. This technique can help balance out your child’s day, so they can tolerate the additional awake time before bed without melting down. If total nighttime sleep is less than 11 hours due to the event, consider shifting bedtime 30 minutes earlier for the next few nights to help your child catch up on missed sleep.