Getting Your Baby to Sleep While Traveling
Summer travel is coming up, and one of the biggest questions I get from clients when we’re wrapping up together is what to do about an upcoming vacation. Travel can be stressful with kids, but there are definitely some things you can do to ensure that you don’t have an overtired, cranky kid on your hands!
These are the tips I give to my clients, and I also use these myself for my two kids!
Pack sleep essentials
Pack the things that will remind your child of sleeping at home. This includes books, stuffed animals, PJs, sleep sacks, and even sheets!
Short on packing space? Look into renting a crib or pack-n-play from places like Baby Quip. Most hotels will have a crib or pack-n-play available for you.
Let them get familiar with their sleep arrangement
If you plan to bring a pack-n-play, SlumberPod, or portable toddler bed with you, set it up at home and let your child play and get familiar with it. Once they are comfortable with it, let them sleep in it at home for a few nights prior to leaving.
Once you are at your destination, let them get familiar with their sleeping arrangement in the room before you start your bedtime routine. My two-year-old loves to put all of her stuffed animals to bed in her crib whenever we stay in a hotel!
Plan the sleep situation in advance
Don’t wait until you reach your destination to figure out your sleep situation.
If staying with a family member, plan your sleeping situation ahead of time.
If you’re staying in a hotel or short-term rental, you can try to find something with a walk-in closet that will fit your baby’s pack-n-play. You can also try to rearrange the furniture in the room and strategically string up some sheets to block your baby’s view of you. A great solution to room sharing is the SlumberPod. The SlumberPod is a blackout pod that is placed over your child’s pack-n-play, mini crib, or portable toddler mattress. I recently used the SlumberPod while on a cruise, and I was able to keep the lights on and move around the room without waking my daughter! Be sure to use my code leavetherest_to_me$20 at checkout for $20 off.
Time your trip around sleep (if possible)
If your child sleeps well in their carseat, try to align nap time with when you leave. Most babies love to sleep in the car and plane, even when it’s not nap time. Although it’s not the most restorative sleep, it definitely beats a screaming, overtired baby. Make sure that they are comfy. Put them in PJs and take off their shoes. Use a travel white noise machine. Remove any toys from their reach. If in a car, make sure that your back speakers are turned off, the sunroof cover is closed and sunshades are up.
I realize that it isn't always possible for families with multiple kids to plan around every child. Try to plan around your youngest or most sensitive sleeper.
If you’re traveling on a plane, taking a carseat can be a lifesaver! On a recent trip, my daughter could have been a lap infant, but I knew that she wouldn’t like being contained to my lap. I used this lightweight carseat on the plane. Since she’s used to being in a carseat, she had no complaints about being in there.
If you have a younger baby as a lap infant, a carrier can keep your arms from getting tired while your baby naps on you. I like this one for infants because it’s easy to put on but lightweight to travel with.
Build in playtime
Sitting for long periods of time is not fun for anyone, especially kids. They will need to expel some energy. Some airports even have playrooms! If on the road, you can stop for a meal break at a park.
Outdoor playtime is a bonus, if you’re able. Exposure to sunlight will help your baby’s circadian rhythm stay on track.
Follow your baby’s sleep schedule, but don’t forget to have some fun!
Enjoy yourself! While you’re away, your child’s sleep schedule will probably be thrown off a bit. That’s okay! You know the 80/20 rule for diet? Apply that to your baby’s sleep as well, maybe even allowing closer to 50/50 on a really busy today. Attempt to maintain their normal sleep schedule 80% of the time. The other 20% can be spent “off schedule”. If things get really off track one day, try to prioritize sleep more the next day.
For babies taking more than 1 nap, I like to make sure that at least 1 of the naps is in a dark, quiet room where your baby can get some consolidated sleep. Let the other(s) be on-the-go, held, or maybe let the schedule be off a bit. If you’re skipping a nap or naps weren’t good that day, prioritize an earlier bedtime.
If your toddler is on a 1 nap schedule, you can let the nap be short or on the go, prioritizing that bedtime is a bit earlier.
Have a consistent bedtime routine
Keep your bedtime routine the same. You may be tempted to speed through the routine or change things up while you’re away from home. However, this is definitely the time that consistency is key!
Respond to night wakings consistently
Try to respond to wakings as you would at home. Most of the time this will work, but sometimes the unfamiliar environment may not make that possible.
If you need to give your baby some extra TLC, I have one big rule. Start as you wish to proceed (in the words of my Dad). If you bring your baby into bed with you on night 1, expect that on night 2, your baby is going to cry harder and longer when in their crib.
For my kids, this means comforting at the bedside instead of picking them up or bringing them into bed with me. If I need to, I sit at the edge of their sleep space and give verbal reassurance, hold their hand, or rub their back.
I totally experienced this on a recent trip with my family. My just-turned-two-year-old was not happy with her unfamiliar environment. It became expected that I would sit by her crib until she fell asleep. If she woke in the middle of the night, I would reassure her that her stuffed animals were in the crib with her and she could snuggle them to sleep. Sometimes she needed a hug. I will always give my kiddo a hug in the middle of the night if they need it!
Consider the change in time zones
If the time zone isn’t drastically different, I prefer to keep your baby’s schedule the same.
Flying from west to east can be easier since bedtime will be pushed later.
Flying from east to west can sometimes get more tricky, especially if it’s a big change in time. For example, if I fly from Pennsylvania with my kids to California, their 7:30 bedtime is now 4:30! That’s obviously not going to work. You can cold-turkey adjust to the new time zone or add in a cat nap at the end of the day to get your baby to bedtime.
Have the best time on your vacation! If you need to get back on track once you’re home, my blog post, Getting Sleep Back on Track After the Holidays will be helpful. If your little one has never gotten restful sleep, book a free call with me so we can chat about how I can help!
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