How We Kept Our Toddler's Sleep on Track for Summer Fireworks (Without Missing Out)

If you've read some of my backstory or know me personally, you know that sometimes my life can revolve around my sensitive sleeper. This summer, we have some big plans, and I just cannot stomach the thought of having my toddler dictate what we can and cannot do because of his sleep needs.

This weekend we celebrated Independence Day. We wanted to have a little party, see some fireworks, and go to the lake. Here's the issue: fireworks start around 10pm here, my son can't stay up that late and have a successful next day, and I'm tired of his sleep schedule dictating whether or not we can do what we want to do. So what did I do?

The Weekend Sleep Conflict Breakdown

First, I looked at what our weekend entailed.

• Friday: Holiday party from 4pm–7pm (no sleep conflicts, at our house, bedtime as normal)

• Saturday: Fireworks from 10pm–12am (major sleep conflicts, bedtime is at 8pm)

• Sunday: Fun at the lake from 11:30am–1:30pm (nap conflict, usually 12:45–2:30)

Next, I reminded myself of my son's sleep cues. For him lately, it's clumsiness, meltdowns, and extreme energy. My contingency plan was to bring a baby carrier because if he gets too tired, he will need me to hold him (and I need some support with that). Easy. The final piece was really just how we manage his sleep Saturday and the nap Sunday.

How We Prepped Our Toddler for a Late Night

For Friday, we just prioritized ensuring he was in bed by 8pm sharp so he would have as much sleep as possible. For Saturday's nap, we also ensured he was right on time. We also prioritized really explaining the plan for Saturday evening as often as possible so he knew what to expect. We would go to bed, when it got dark enough for fireworks, we would wake him up, and then go see fireworks in our PJs.

When it was time for bed, he asked when we would see fireworks, and I told him, "We will see fireworks in the middle of the night tonight. I need you to go to sleep as quickly as you can. We will come wake you up when it's time to see the fireworks." And he went right to sleep. Honestly, it was wild.

When it was time for the fireworks, we attempted to wake him, but he was fully asleep as evidenced in the photo above. We took him out of the crib, out of his sleep sack, and carried him to the car. He woke up then, we gave him a blanket over his car seat, and told him we were driving to see the fireworks. He was in and out of sleep until we arrived. Earmuffs included. We sat in the back of the car and watched the fireworks go off in the distance. He was in awe! After about 45 minutes, he asked if we could go back home to go to sleep, so we did.

Adjusting the Nap Schedule the Next Day

He instantly fell asleep when we got home. Woke at his normal time for Sunday, and we went on with the day as planned. We got home an hour after his nap was supposed to start, he fell asleep, and then we hit another bump: when do we wake him from his nap?

He was about 90 minutes shy of the normal amount of overnight sleep he gets, an hour late for his nap, but if we let him sleep too long, he likely wouldn't be tired for bed Sunday night. We decided to wake him at 3:30, which is great because he naturally woke up right at that time on the dot. We did his normal bedtime at 8pm instead of adjusting for the late nap, and it went great! He slept normally Sunday night and is back on track with limited disturbances (he did have a few unexpected accidents Sunday, and we do believe this is tied to the weird sleep).

What This Taught Me About Managing a Toddler Sleep Schedule During Summer

This experience was really eye-opening for me. Typically we have a lot of issues when we go off of our normal rhythm, and it can take weeks to get back on track. I think the key was really informing our son of the adjusted schedule. He knew what to expect, fell asleep quickly because he trusted he wouldn't miss out on any of the fun, and even spoke up to go back home when he felt ready to go back to bed.

What We're Doing Differently All Summer

As we continue our summer plans, we will keep our son informed of changes. We have set up a summer calendar with all of our events, and we talk about them each day. I point out where naps and bedtime will get a bit wonky, and he knows what day events those are attached to (for example, he knows when we drive to the big city, we are leaving during his nap time so he will sleep in the car, and he recites this information when we point to it on the calendar).

We will look for pockets of time to go to sleep early if we need to wake early, or plan for two-nap days if we are going to wake early and be out late for that day. We will do what we can to ensure he keeps his normal overall amount of sleep, and keep him informed so that he can trust the process and sleep during the times we have found for him to do so.