Expert guidance from a pediatric sleep specialist, on navigating sleep while traveling.
As a parent, the excitement of exploring new places and creating memories with your family is unparalleled, but at the same time, you may find yourself worrying about maintaining a sleep routine while on the road. In this article, we delve into a treasure trove of invaluable
tips and insights to help you establish and maintain good sleep habits while on
the move. Whether you are planning a short weekend getaway or a long-haul
adventure, these strategies will help your family get the rest they need. Let's dive in and unlock the secrets to a well-rested journey!
1.) Recreate a Familiar Sleep Environment
Ensuring a smooth transition during travel is easier when you recreate your baby's optimal sleep environment. Blocking out daylight and noise, and maintaining bedtime routines helps signal to their brain that it’s time to calm down and rest.
Bring a Portable White Noise Machine: A portable white noise machine can be a lifesaver for creating a soothing sleep environment for your baby while traveling. Don't forget to pack the charger as well!
Comfort Items for Sleep: If your baby uses a sleep sack or has a lovey, let them hold these familiar items while falling asleep. Does your toddler love their pillow? Bring their pillow case, to use at the hotel. You can swap it out for another pillow or even fold up a towel inside. Does your hotel provide a crib for you? Bring your child’s sheets to make it feel more like home. You know your child best and what makes them feel most comfortable.
Utilize a Car Seat or Nursing Cover for Darkness: On the go, use a car seat or nursing cover to create a dark space for your baby. Ensure it doesn't become too warm inside.
Address Room-Sharing Challenges: Opt for baby-friendly accommodations that offer separate rooms or a balcony, allowing you to enjoy adult time while your baby sleeps peacefully. If room-sharing is necessary there are still many ways to improvise sleep areas. Consider placing the bassinet or pack n play in a well-ventilated closet, bathroom, or rearrange furniture to create a distraction-free sleep space. One of the most popular products my client use for travel is the SlumberPod, which can help create separation and block out light for better nighttime sleep. Avoiding bed sharing while away, will aid in a much easier transition back to their own bed when home.
Familiarize Baby with Travel Sleep Gear: Before your trip, familiarize your baby with the travel crib or pack n’ play by using it for naps at home. This will make it less distracting for them when used during your family vacation. Start with a nap or two the week before, and work your way up to a full night.
Toddler Sleep Beds:
While a pack and play or travel crib is suitable for most babies up to 3 years old. For children who have outgrown their crib at home, the ideal solution for travel is an inflatable toddler bed, a travel cot, or a travel tent. The hiccapop inflatable bed is suitable for toddlers aged 18 months and above, while travel tents like the KidCo PeaPod Plus or the Joovy Gloo can be used from 6 months onwards.
If a full-size bed is available during your travels, but your
toddler isn't quite ready to sleep in one without rails, there are excellent
inflatable bed rails that can prevent them from falling off onto the floor.
These bed rails are compact and easy to pack in your suitcase, providing peace
of mind knowing your little one is safe. Alternatively, some clients have used
rolled-up towels or folded pillows inserted under the fitted sheet to act as
makeshift bed rails.
2.) Stay Consistent with Your Child's Nap and Bedtime Routines
Just as it's essential to maintain a familiar sleep environment while traveling, sticking to your child's regular sleep routine is equally crucial. Vacations introduce numerous new experiences and encounters with new people, which can be overwhelming for your child. By following their familiar bedtime routine, you help them comprehend the current situation and soothe their nervous system, preparing them for what lies ahead – ideally a restful sleep. Whether it's reading a story, singing lullabies, or any other winding-down activities, create a dedicated space to recreate this comforting bedtime routine and help them achieve a more restful sleep. After putting your baby down, step out of the "room," which could entail sitting on a patio or quietly occupying a separate area within the same space. The idea is to establish some distance, signaling to your baby that you are no longer available and that it's bedtime. This separation helps reinforce the sleep routine and encourages your little one to settle down independently.
During plane or car journeys, it's tempting to hope that your little one will simply get so tired they'll rest on their own. However, taking a moment to read their bedtime book and block out light as best possible, can make a significant difference in helping them settle down for some much-needed rest. Of course, in this situation it’s okay to stay in the same space with your baby.
3.) Day Time Schedule and Planning Ahead
One of the most significant challenges of traveling with little ones is figuring out how to manage their schedule or adjust your day to accommodate their needs. Sticking to appropriate wake windows and bedtime is important, but if your child is taking more than 1 nap per day, it may be unrealistic to expect all those to take place in a crib. As you gain more experience traveling with your child, you'll naturally find some solutions that work best for you. In the meantime, here are some widely favored approaches that many families find helpful.
Aim for One Good Nap Per Day
It's normal to expect that naps might be skipped while on the road or during a plane journey. Aim for at least one good nap per day to limit over exhaustion. Ensuring a good morning nap at the hotel sets the stage for a well-rested start to the day. While the subsequent naps might be on the go, in someone's arms, stroller, or car seat, that's perfectly fine. However, even during these naps, it's essential to adhere to your baby's wake windows as closely as possible to prevent them from becoming overtired and cranky. If your second nap is skipped, an earlier bedtime will likely be necessary.
Seasoned Tip: If you notice a couple of days with missed naps, consider scheduling a "reset day" where your child can take all their naps in the hotel or crib to catch up on rest.
Schedule Flights and Long Journeys Earlier in the Day
When it comes to longer journeys, often times babies do best with an early start, after having a full night’s rest of 10+ hours sleep. This means hitting to road between 5-10 AM, right when they wake up, or after the first nap. While a red-eye can be tempting, the risk of your child not getting adequate night sleep can have a snowball effect on the next couple days. Of course, when possible try to time the travel around a nap/sleep schedule that works best for your child. Some parents who are driving like to hit the road just after bedtime, when they trust their child will fall asleep in the car and make the transfer from car seat to bed pretty easy. As always, you know your child best and sometimes it takes a few trips to figure this out, so don’t be so hard on yourself if it’s not perfect. Travel days should be the most flexible!
Give your baby or toddler time to play everyday
It may seem silly to think your little one won’t tire themselves out enough on vacation when everyday you’re on the go. However, often during trips, babies find themselves in a stroller, car, or being carried all day long. This means not getting enough physical activity to get tired for naps and nighttime. Creating space in your room for independent play, and finding parks or areas to explore around the hotel allows your little one to expend all that pent up energy.
Seasoned Tip: During long car rides, make a picnic blanket easily accessible and map out parks or safe spaces for your little one to get out and run, or get some tummy time in for 30 minutes. Stopping at a café is great, but expecting your baby to be happy sitting in a car, to sitting in a restaurant isn’t setting them up for the most success. Allowing for 15 minutes of play before and after a meal can work wonders for restless kids.
4.) Crossing Time Zones
If you have a short trip of just a few days, it's advisable to stick to your home time zone. When dealing with longer trips, you may find it necessary to adjust your baby’s clock which I recommend doing gradually day by day. I advise against starting the time zone shift before your travel date, because travel days are filled with unknown factors, such as plane delays and skipped naps. Knowing these may disrupt your child's current schedule anyways, I find it’s best to maintain your child's regular good sleep habits before the trip to optimize rest. When possible, keeping your schedule open and flexible the day after arrival, allows everyone to catch up on missed sleep and adjust more comfortably to the new time zone as needed. Typically, most kids handle one day with disrupted sleep quite well, but they may start to struggle if it extends to two or three days.
Traveling east to west:
If you're traveling from east to west, the time difference might require a shift. To help your baby adjust, consider adding an extra cat nap to bridge the gap and reach a more suitable bedtime in the new time zone. If that's not feasible, try gradually shifting bedtime later by keeping your baby awake for slightly longer periods (around 10-30 minutes each day). However, be attentive to your baby's cues and avoid pushing them to become overtired.
Traveling west to east:
When traveling from west to east, the time difference might work in your favor. If it's 7:00 pm at home, it could be 10:00 pm in the new time zone, which allows for a later bedtime. Many of my clients embrace this opportunity to enjoy late dinners and a more relaxed evening without worrying about rushing back for bedtime. Your baby may naturally adjust and sleep in a little later while on vacation, making the transition smoother.
Get Sunlight Exposure: Make the most of sunlight by spending time outdoors whenever possible. Sunlight plays a crucial role in regulating melatonin (the natural sleepy hormone) and adjusting circadian rhythms, helping all bodies adapt to the local time.
Seasoned Tip: Black out curtains are essential during time zone changes so you can help cue to your baby’s brain if its awake or night time. Portable black out curtains work great in Air BNB’s or when staying with friends. They are easy to remove when its time to let that sunlight in! The SlumberPod is also a great option for maintaining darkness and an independent sleep space.
Encourage Physical Activity: Allow your baby to engage in plenty of physical activity while awake. While it might be tempting to keep them in a stroller or carrier during exploration, providing opportunities for movement is essential. Enjoy some tummy time at a nearby park or let them toddle around the hotel suite to expend their energy.
Start Your Day at the Right Time: To help your baby adjust to the new time
zone, aim to begin your day between 6:00 and 8:00 am local time. This helps
maximize exposure to sunlight, allows time for physical activities, and sets
their internal clock. If your baby wakes up before 6:00 am, keep lights low and
activities calm. If they're still asleep at 8:00 am, gently wake them up.
Mind the Wake Windows: Slightly extend your baby's wake windows to aid in adjustment, but be mindful not to push them to exhaustion or over tiredness. Extending up to 15 minutes for newborns under 6 months, and 15-30 minutes per window, for children who are older.
Limit Total Day Sleep and Cap Naps: If your baby takes multiple naps, limit each
individual nap to 2 hours. This ensures they have enough sleep for bedtime, as
longer naps may delay the time zone adjustment.
Allow Sufficient Wake Time before Bedtime:
Ensure your baby's last nap of the day concludes with ample time for a full
wake window before bedtime, which typically falls between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm
in the new time zone.
5.) Don’t Stress
Remember, learning the best travel practices with your family takes time and practice, so don't be too hard on yourself! Your child's sleep patterns might not remain the same on the road as they are at home, and that's normal. If your baby is sleep-trained, it's okay to offer some extra rocking and soothing while traveling. Upon returning home you can do a quick reset with sleep training if necessary, and avoid bringing home any undesirable habits.
While there's no magic trick to guaranteeing perfect naps on the go, it's essential to prioritize your baby's needs and be understanding of the temporary sacrifices—however, perfection isn't required. You can still explore and enjoy your vacation while ensuring your baby's rest. Vacations often involve late dinners and exploring new places, so finding a balance with earlier bedtimes on some nights and ensuring solid naps on certain days can lead to smoother and more enjoyable experiences for the entire family. Above all, cherish your family time while you're away and make the most of your precious moments together.
Seasoned Tip: Alternate Exploration and Naps! During daytime naps, take turns going out to explore while the other parent stays behind with the baby. This way, both parents get some solo time and the baby can rest comfortably.