ON TODAY’S EP
Christmas, New Year, “quick drop-ins”, big lunches, big opinions.
If you’ve worked hard to get your baby sleeping, the holiday season can feel like everyone wants a piece of you… and your routine.
Hey Nappers!
You’re reading Nap Trapped - our newsletter bringing you the best of the pod, bonus deep-dives, and your weekly dose of parenting solidarity.
Here’s the deal, you can enjoy the special family moments.
We’re not here to suck the fun out of the holidays. We’re here to stop the bit where you end up stressed, overstimulated, running mental maths on wake windows, and then being the one dealing with the fallout at 2am while everyone else sleeps.
This episode is your permission slip to hold steady on the boundaries that keep your sanity ticking over.
BIG THEMES FROM THE EP
80/20 still applies. If most days are steady, one “off” day usually won’t torch your nights. But you get to choose how loose you go.
You’re allowed to be the outlier. If your toddler doesn’t car-nap, you don’t have to pretend they will.
Host if you can. It’s the easiest way to protect naps, dark room, cot, white noise, while still being generous.
Babywearing is a boundary. If you don’t want baby passed around, the carrier does the talking.
Other people can feel disappointed. That doesn’t mean you’re doing the wrong thing. You’re the one up at 3am if it all unravels.
SPONSORED BY SNOOZE
Never Left Wondering ‘What Now’
Snooze is our all-access baby-sleep village, built to give you clear, evidence-based help for every age and stage, without the overwhelm.
Inside Snooze, you get expert-crafted sleep guides - so you never are left wondering what to do next - weekly live coaching with Sally and Bec, member pricing on consults, and new tools added regularly
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start following a plan you can actually stick to, come join us.
Join before December 31 and enjoy Founding Member pricing for life:
Signup Now
Why holidays get so tricky.
The pressure isn’t just about “one nap”. It’s the mental load sitting underneath it, the reverse engineering bedtime, the toddler who won’t car-nap, the baby who gets passed around, the overstimulation, the extra night wakes, the early rises… and you’re the one who wears it.
So if you’re feeling anxious, cranky, or on edge about sleep during holiday events, you’re not being dramatic.
This is your permission slip to hold steady on your boundaries around sleep.
Let’s make it practical
Knowing you “should hold boundaries” is one thing. Saying it out loud when your aunty’s pouring another drink and someone’s insisting your baby “doesn’t look tired” is another.
After the ep links below, we’ve summarises the scripts, the one-liners, and the tiny phrases that do the heavy lifting without turning it into a debate. 👇
EPISODE 63 LINKS
YouTube
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
As always, we’d really appreciate if you can give us a follow/subscribe and a rating. This helps our little show reach more parents in need and grow our wonderful Nap Trapped community!
Okay, but what do I actually SAY?
Steal these and deliver them like you mean it: