A baby sleeping peacefully in a stroller outside a café or preschool might seem alarming to parents unfamiliar with Scandinavian customs. Yet in parts of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, outdoor naps are a long-established childcare tradition, sometimes continuing even when temperatures fall below freezing. Swedish content creator Cecilia Blomdahl has helped bring attention to this unusual practice, raising questions about why Nordic parents embrace it, what the science says, and how they keep their children safe.
Imagine walking past a café on a freezing winter afternoon and noticing a stroller parked outside, with a baby sleeping inside. For many visitors, the immediate reaction would be concern. Where are the parents? Isn’t the baby cold? And why would anyone choose an outdoor nap when there’s a perfectly warm room nearby?
In the Nordic countries, the explanation is often much simpler than outsiders expect. Fresh-air naps have been part of family life for generations, and some parents believe their children sleep more comfortably outdoors. The practice is not limited to private homes. Certain preschools also organize outdoor nap times, using specially arranged sleeping spaces and appropriate winter clothing.
Cecilia Blomdahl, a Swedish photographer and content creator living on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, discussed this custom in a YouTube video published on April 21, 2024. Known for documenting everyday life in the Arctic, she explained that outdoor sleeping is familiar to many Nordic families, including in preschool settings.
In the video, titled The Swedish KEY to Good Sleep – Scandinavian Sleep Method & WHY Kids Nap OUTSIDE in Winter, Blomdahl describes how children may take their afternoon naps outdoors despite the cold. She also discusses the extra winter clothing families provide to keep their children comfortable.
Although the practice can seem extraordinary to people raised in warmer climates, it reflects a broader Nordic familiarity with spending time outdoors throughout the year.
Why Do Scandinavian Babies Sleep Outside?
For many Nordic parents, fresh air and outdoor activity are ordinary parts of childhood, not experiences reserved for pleasant weather. The idea that children can spend time outside during winter is deeply embedded in local childcare traditions.
In Finland, outdoor napping has been practiced for generations. A study published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health examined parents’ experiences in the northern Finnish city of Oulu and found that wintertime outdoor naps were widely regarded as an ordinary childcare practice.
Some parents reported that their babies slept longer outdoors than indoors. The researchers also documented the practical challenges involved, particularly keeping infants at an appropriate temperature as weather conditions changed.
The custom can be seen in Swedish preschools as well. In January 2024, public broadcaster SVT reported on Gulsparven preschool in Jönköping, where children regularly took naps outdoors.
Preschool educator Sandra Mikkilä described how staff observed that children often fell asleep more easily outside and woke up in a good mood. She also explained that during a period of exceptionally cold weather, the preschool moved nap time indoors.
The decision illustrates an important distinction: outdoor sleeping may be customary, but it is not necessarily practiced regardless of the temperature.
Do Babies Really Sleep Better in the Cold?
There is scientific research suggesting that babies may sleep longer during outdoor naps, although the available evidence does not establish that cold-weather sleeping is universally beneficial or safer than sleeping indoors.
A Finnish study led by researcher Marjo Tourula at the University of Oulu examined the relationship between outdoor temperatures, infants’ skin temperatures, and nap duration.
Published in Acta Paediatrica in 2010, the observational study recorded outdoor and indoor sleeping conditions among three-month-old infants. The researchers found that outdoor naps lasted an average of 92 minutes longer than indoor naps.
The results were not simply a case of colder weather producing better sleep. Researchers also observed that babies’ skin temperatures decreased during outdoor naps, despite the clothing used to protect them. As the rate of cooling increased, sleep duration became shorter.
A related investigation into winter clothing found that keeping infants adequately insulated became increasingly difficult as temperatures dropped.
These findings provide some context for why Nordic parents might notice longer naps outdoors. They do not prove that exposure to freezing temperatures strengthens children’s immune systems, improves their long-term development, or makes them more resilient.
How Do Parents Keep Babies Warm During Outdoor Naps?
One of the most important parts of the Nordic tradition is preparing children for winter conditions rather than simply exposing them to the cold.
Parents typically use weather-appropriate clothing and carefully chosen sleeping arrangements. Warm layers, hats, and protection from wind are particularly important, but dressing a baby too warmly can also create problems.
Guidance published by the Family Federation of Finland emphasizes that parents are responsible for monitoring their baby’s comfort and temperature. Checking the back of the neck can help identify whether a child is becoming too warm, particularly if the skin feels damp or sweaty.
The same Finnish guidance advises against taking very young babies outdoors when temperatures fall below −10°C. It also emphasizes gradually introducing infants to cold-weather outdoor activities rather than immediately exposing them to prolonged freezing conditions.
The Finnish research highlights why supervision matters. Even when infants were dressed warmly, researchers observed measurable cooling during outdoor naps, with greater heat loss at lower temperatures.
Safe sleep arrangements are another essential consideration. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep on their backs on a firm, flat, non-inclined surface, without loose blankets, pillows, or other soft bedding. It also advises against routine sleeping in stroller seats and other sitting devices.
An outdoor stroller arrangement should therefore not automatically be assumed safe simply because it is familiar in another country.
What About the Risk of Leaving Babies Outside?
For visitors unfamiliar with Nordic parenting traditions, concerns are not limited to temperature. Seeing a stroller outside a building can also raise questions about supervision, security, and whether a child has been left alone.
These reactions reflect differences in parenting expectations and local customs. What may be considered an ordinary daytime routine in one community can appear unsettling elsewhere.
Outdoor napping does not necessarily mean that a baby has been abandoned or left without supervision. Families and preschool staff may use arrangements that allow them to monitor sleeping children, although the level of supervision varies.
The Finnish Family Federation’s guidance stresses the importance of choosing an appropriate location and monitoring the baby’s well-being. It also recommends avoiding environments where traffic or other hazards could create additional risks.
Claims that kidnapping is virtually impossible in Scandinavian countries, or that a particular percentage of child abductions involves family members, should not be treated as established facts without reliable national statistics.
For parents considering the practice, the most important questions are whether the child can be monitored, whether the sleeping arrangement meets appropriate safety standards, and whether the temperature and weather conditions are suitable for an infant.
The custom remains visible in Nordic family life and preschool routines, but individual decisions depend on the child’s age, health, sleeping environment, and local conditions. In the Swedish preschool featured by SVT, even children accustomed to outdoor naps were brought inside during exceptionally cold weather.