Nordic people generally believe that outdoor air is fresher than indoor air and more beneficial to the healthy growth of newborns, so they have the habit of leaving baby strollers outside during nap time—even in freezing cold weather.
The BBC reports that for those unfamiliar with Nordic customs, leaving a child "out" in the open can be quite an adjustment. Take Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, for example: during lunch breaks, baby strollers are lined up neatly outside coffee shops, with babies fast asleep inside while parents enjoy coffee and conversation in the cafés. When visiting friends with children, hosts often don’t offer a bedroom but instead wheel the baby stroller out to the balcony or garden. Some Nordic families, even in frigid temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius, still insist on letting their babies sleep outdoors. This isn’t just because Nordics are “used to the cold”—parents also take thorough measures to keep their babies warm. Experts say that babies sleep better outdoors than indoors, and in cold environments, they are less likely to wake up due to overheating under blankets, which contributes to better sleep.