Nordic parents leave babies outside to sleep in sub-zero temperatures and the ritual is freaking people out
'If I ever came across something like this. I would stay and watch them because I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.'
If you ever see a baby napping alone outside in freezing temperatures in Nordic countries, then don't worry; it's actually helping them. In fact, more often than not, parents let their babies take naps outdoors because apparently they believe kids may get better sleep while being exposed to fresh air. Olly Bowman (@mrmelk_) was strolling the streets of Norway when he noticed a group of babies enjoying a quick nap outdoors. He shared the video on TikTok, and it literally freaked people out for real, especially Americans.
"Another day in Norway, [and] another group of babies left out alone in the cold," Bowman said, showing a bunch of infants napping alone outside in the cold weather. There were no parents in the video, and Bowman captured the babies sleeping inside their strollers on the street behind him. "It helps with their breathing and makes them more independent," he said. "It's actually why so many people leave home earlier in Norway than in other countries," Bowman added, reflecting the Nordic emphasis on independence from an early age.
The practice of letting babies nap outside, though very common in Nordic countries, is a debatable practice. Katie Plamer, a London-based sleep consultant, told Insider that babies actually sleep longer when they nap outside and are exposed to fewer germs as compared to when they sleep indoors. On the other hand, some sleep experts warn against letting a baby sleep alone, both indoors and outdoors. Dr. Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician based in Atlanta, Georgia, questioned what would happen if parents aren't nearby and the baby suffers some serious health problem. "My concern is supervision," she added. Bowman's video went viral, and people couldn't believe just how safe Norway is, especially for the kids. For instance, @gracenielson28 commented, "If I ever came across something like this. I would stay and watch them because I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night." Similarly, @monkey111984 wrote, "I think even if I were in the safest place on earth, I wouldn’t leave my baby outside alone like this; it's just crazy. All it takes is one situation to happen."
@kenna.waite commented, "I literally cannot get out of my car to grab the mail from the mailbox without having an anxiety attack. I wish this country was like this." @saint.alesund said, "When I first saw that in Norway, I thought it was just an empty stroller until the baby started to make noise." @swedishnurse1972 shared, "Normal Day in Sweden. I started to do the same with my son when he was 2 weeks old in November, and he always slept outside." @thatonemaria4 confessed, "Wow. I won’t even let my kids walk down a different aisle at the grocery store in case someone starts shooting and we need to run." @ela2for recalled, "Living in Scotland, I would leave my babies in the garden at every opportunity when they were babies in prams. But that was like more than 20 years ago." @yourprettynurse_yayi said, "My American mindset is so messed up that I could never do that, not even if I lived in Norway lol."
You can follow Olly Bowman (@mrmelk_) on TikTok for lifestyle content.
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