If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

...how did your DC transfer into the car? Did they go right back to sleep? I think we are going to try leaving at 2am for a trip so we can get a good 4 hours in with sleeping kids, but we have never done it before and I am a little nervous they won't fall back asleep!

Re: If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

We've done it many times as I have family in MD that we visit frequently. DD usually falls back asleep within 10-15 minutes without an issue.

Re: If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

We took dd to VA when she was about 3.5 months old. We left about 10 pm and dd slept the WHOLE TIME. We pulled over to sleep for alittle over an hour and once she woke up and started fussing we were right back on the road and went back to sleep. Then once we got to my sil house, she slept with me for an extra 2 hours. It was great!

Re: If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

We did it last summer when my kids were 2 & 3 to go to Niagara Falls and it was HORRIBLE I will never ever do it again.
Our neighbore's recommended that we leave at 2 or 3am so the kids sleep and there son isn't the best sleeper and always transfer great and is only a year older that our DS. There DD is just like my DD so I thought it would be fine.
We transfer them and left at 3am. DD was ok but was up for an hour and DS up for THREE before he fell asleep for a little while. My DS also just wasn't up he was whiny and cranky.
On the way home we left Canada at 7am and they were a lot better on the way home.

I would rather leave around 8pm instead of the middle of the night.

Re: If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

When we drove down to Ocean City, we left after dinner. We gave him his bottle in the car. It took until the sun went down for him to fall asleep (around 8:30) but then he pretty much slept through until we got there (around 12:30). I would rather leave in the evening than in the middle of the night because I think it's harder to transfer him from crib->car seat than the car seat->crib. I think it probably depends on the kid!

Re: If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

Mine were older (4 & 6). They stayed awake, wide awake for a few hours & then conked out later in the trip.

We left at 3:30-4am.

I wouldn't be nervous about them not falling asleep. It's likely that they will fall back to sleep.

Re: If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

When we drove to NC in June, DS was 9 MO and we left at around 9:00PM. He is pretty good at transitioning anyway - he'll wake a little but if I do it very slowly he's still half asleep.
He woke up a little at first and went right back to sleep. We had to stop about an hour in to pick up my dad - he stayed asleep. Had to turn around and go back to my dad's after 1/2 of driving (dad forgot something ) and he still stayed asleep. We stopped twice on the drive and someone stayed in the car with him and he didn't really wake up until it got light out around 5:00 AM.

I think the movement of the car and the fact that they are sleepy anyway will usually put them right back out. Just make sure you have everything ready to go and put them in very last.

Re: If you have left for a long car trip in the middle of the night...

as babies, right back to sleep.

jessie went to sleep this summer, josh was up for the long haul