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My 5-month-old has been traveling since she was a few weeks old and I don't know if it's just her easy-going temperament or the fact that we travel with her a lot (my parents are 5 hrs away and in-laws are 2 hours away and we visit both a lot) but she's great at napping anywhere. We're definitely not slaves to her nap schedule; she sleeps great in her stroller and carseat. However, that might change as she gets older and her schedule gets more rigid--but I hope it won't too much!

We are terrible parents that spend pretty much every weekend dragging my 7 month old around all day long on the weekends. He either sleeps in the car or in carrier. Sometimes in the stroller. I tried to get him to nap yesterday in the crib and it was a disaster, lol.

We typically nap at home but will do on the go naps (stroller, car seat, grandmas house in a P&P) if we are out and about. We certainly aren't slaves to home!

@Mrs. Champagne: this! My child will *only* nap in her stroller!

COULD Lo sleep in a stroller or carrier if necessary? Absolutely! For something like a vacation, which is a finite amount of time, we would totally do this--at that age he was transitioning from 3/4 cat naps to 2 longer naps, so if we had gone away, we probably just would have gone with the multiple shorter naps that could have happened on the go--in the ergo, stroller, car, etc.

That being said, he does sleep better, and I prefer it, if he naps at home. now that he is on 1 nap, we are much more tied to being home for his nap than he was when he was young=er.

This is so dependent on the kid and also the age. LO used to nap in the carrier well until about 6 months. She has only ever slept in the stroller once, and it was for 45 minutes when she was 9 months old. Being outside and around people energizes her, and she will not go to sleep. I know some kids who sleep really well in a stroller and always have. I am like your brother and SIL but that's because I have to be. My LO is not pleasant otherwise.

ETA: She sleeps fine in a car seat (although we don't drive often). She also sleeps well in a travel crib. Strollers not so much.

I think a lot of it will depend on your child. I don't think car naps/stroller naps/carrier naps are detrimental, but they aren't as restorative as crib naps, so I personally would not want to make them a habit. Think about it...if you fall asleep in the car on a road trip, when you wake up you're a lot less refreshed than if you'd taken a nap at home in your own bed. Our issue was M would fall asleep in the stroller or car, but as soon as it stopped moving she'd wake up. So we'd get maybe a 30-40 min nap instead of a much better one at home. Some babies can be happy and playful on short naps and others are cranky and miserable. You'll just have to see what works best for you!

@Mrs. Champagne: Same here. He naps like crap in a crib- at home and at daycare.

Oh and just to add, we've only just started having him sleep in his crib in the last couple weeks. Before that he was sleeping in the PnP in our room at night and naps in the RnP. And we were nursing/rocking/swaddling for all naps at home. So I don't think it was all that surprising that he didn't want to nap in the crib.

It's all about what you guys are comfortable with. Can I feed him and rock him and get him down for a nap (after 30-40 minutes)? Sure. Is he any better rested than falling asleep when he needs to in the car? I don't really think he is. But all babies are different :).

I think it's different for every child. My LO was great at sleeping anywhere until about 6 months. 6-11 months got a little hairy, and then she figured it out again. However, my BF's little boy will sleep anywhere and always has, (Maybe it helps that he goes to daycare?) but I have several other friends whose kids would only sleep at home despite their very earnest efforts.

I think kids o through stages with their sleep and its difficult to say what will happen on that trip.

I also think some kids can get used to sleeping on the go but would worry that it would mean struggles at night when they aren't being held or rocked in any way. And I would sacrifice naps on the go for sttn.

C NEVER napped outside the house. She just wouldn't and it wasn't for lack of trying.

Yes, I've always had success with LO sleeping in the car/stroller/playpen/other places. Naps can be tricky now that she's older (20 months.)

My first reaction is, a baby who can only sleep in one place/situation will become an adult who can only sleep in one place/situation, and I don't want to instill that kind of rigidity! As long as the baby is happy and doing well and has no sleep issues, I don't think napping in a different bed/couch/floor/swing/carrier/carseat/bouncy here and there is detrimental at all!

I think it really depends on the baby. Mine will only really nap at home in the bed, with blackout shades and a noise machine. She won't even really nap in her car seat. My friends son will nap anywhere. We've approached sleep in similar manners, but I really believe every kid has different sleep needs.

That being said, I wouldn't worry about it for a vacation. When we go out of town I am much more flexible with sleep and sometimes LO has a short nap or misses one. It's not an everyday thing (and she's pretty happy even if she misses a nap).

Every baby is a little human with their own plan. I tried hard from the newborn days on to get him to sleep out and about and to this day at 18m he's never slept once in the stroller or carrier, rarely in his car seat even at night or during nap time.

So, don't make big plans like I did because your kidlet will not necessarily get the memo no matter how hard you try.

Like pp have said it will depend on the baby and the family. My LO was an awful napper until she was 15 months so we didn't mind messing with her naps (or lack thereof) at all. She usually slept better in her car seat, carrier, or in the stroller. Now we can finally get her to nap in her crib and she is consolidating to one nap. We might be less apt to mess with it since we'll only get one nap.

My kid WILL take naps in the car or stroller or backpack, but they aren't great and never as long as when she's in her crib. She gets way overtired and overstimulated. I'm not a slave to the routine- if there is something fun going on I just risk it, but honestly, everything is easier when she's in her own bed and on her routine.

I used to really stress about naps and making sure she took them in the cot and was convinced she wouldn't be able to nap on the go and her night sleep would get messed up...but actually she can and often does. She's 9 months and will nap in the car, in the stroller, in the ergo etc. On the go she will only nap for 30mins, but that's enough to refresh her and keep her going until the next one/bed time. If we're out she does tend to stay awake longer than at home, because it takes her a while longer to switch off...but she does regularly do it now.

Besides HB I don't actually know anyone IRL whose babies nap regularly in the cot and they are all turning out just fine

Yes...but only at that age. My LO was a dream in Hawaii at about 6 months. He slept at dinner, at the pool, wherever. But now I would absolutely slave to his naps or risk madness. (Your brother just forgets what it used to be like!)