Traveling with a Baby? Here’s How to Manage Their Sleep!

While most of your summer plans are wrapping up, and you’re still dreaming of that beach vacation (aka parenting in another location), you may be like many parents I know and swearing off all further getaways.

One of the top reasons families decide to sleep train with me is because they ended up having a challenging time on vacation, as their children would not sleep, causing exhaustion and frustration instead of rest and relaxation.

There’s no better time like the present to get your sleep on track, establish healthy routines and create structure that transfers from your nursery to any hotel room. When you have an independent sleeper, they are more likely to be flexible in their sleep habits in other locations! 

Traveling with a baby soon? Let’s talk about ways to make your next vacation go as smoothly as possible.

In the days leading up to traveling with a baby, it’s always best to make a working list of everything you will need in the notes app on your phone. Keep adding to the list as you remember items. In addition to the obvious (diapers, pajamas, etc.), some important sleep-related items might include:

• A travel sound machine. These little guys fit in the palm of your hand, but pack a powerful punch of soothing, continuous white noise. It’s rechargeable but lasts for hours, so you’ll be all set for that long car ride!
• Room darkening solutions, like travel blackout curtains, do the trick and won’t break the bank. This healps to create a sleep-inducing space wherever you're staying.
• A pack and play, hotel travel crib or lightweight crib mattress is a must. Because your baby is comfortable sleeping in their own environment at home, they will transition these skills more easily when they are given their own safe sleep space while vacationing.

Do you need another reason to have a separate sleep space during vacation? Many parents call me, months after traveling with a baby, reporting their baby or toddler slept all night long in their own crib until they decided to just co-sleep during vacation, which became the new norm upon returning home. Establishing a separate sleep space for your child, even if it’s in the same room, will make the transition back from vacation much smoother.

The number one question on my final call with my families is, “How do we handle naps and bedtime when we’re traveling with a baby?” Here’s the honest truth, coming partly from experience as a mom.

On your travel day, your motto should be “it is what it is” or “go with the flow.” Seriously. Travel days can be stressful, and the more we worry about our kid’s sleeping schedule, the more unnecessary pressure we put on the entire family.

When it comes to names, use your normal schedule on your at-home time zone as your guide. However, don’t worry if naps are shorter, longer or even skipped altogether. Remember, they are not in their sleep space, and they’re excited about the adventure, which all affects sleep.

Keep in mind that your children might eat less than normal on travel day. This always used to bug me out. My girls were never voracious eaters, so when we traveled and they only took 18 ounces for the day, I was convinced I was doomed for a sleepless night ahead (spoiler alert: I wasn’t). I had to remind myself that they weren’t expending much energy cooped up for hours in a car seat, so their bodies didn’t need their normal amount of fuel. They always rebounded their ounces or solids intake the next day.

You’ll likely be exhausted from traveling, and getting your sleep space set up may be the last thing on your mind. But having their bed set up and ready to go will ease the bedtime transition.

Since you’ll be sleeping in a new space after an exciting travel day, getting your little one acclimated by using a longer routine with extra soothing will help them feel more comfortable. You may opt to stay in the room with them while they’re falling asleep, even if they do not usually need you to be in their bedroom while they fall asleep.

If you’re able to plan a light activity day on your first full day at your destination, this will help recover from the long travel day prior. Aim for at least one nap in the pack and play or crib, the length of which should be at least an hour (or longer if your child is only taking one nap per day). The other naps can be on the go and shoot for an earlier than normal bedtime to make up for lost sleep from the day prior, shifting bedtime about 30-60 minutes earlier.

On the remainder of your vacation days, just go with the flow. Seriously. If your little one has great sleep skills, they’ll nap when they can and make up for it at nighttime. If you sense they’re getting cranky one day, modify plans the next day in order to offer them a long nap in the pack and play or an early bedtime that night.

You want to be able to enjoy your trip, making the most of your time without feeling nap-trapped!

Of course you’ll need to make accommodations on the fly, which is what parenting is all about, but it doesn’t mean you have to be stuck to a schedule for your entire vacation.

Ahh … traveling with a baby and crossing time zones sounds like the sleepless gift that keeps on giving. However, children who are taking naps are usually more flexible with time changes than we are. Kids who are well-rested are resilient and adjust accordingly.

As I mentioned before, when you're traveling between time zones, on travel day, use the time on the clock as it is in your home location.

The next morning, stay as close to the local time as possible until you get back on their schedule, but with the local time at your destination. It takes about one day for every one hour of time change for the body to adjust, but I find kids transition much quicker when they jump right into the new time zone on Vacation Day 1.

Give your entire family grace as you’re traveling between time zones, and remember the old adage, “West is Best, East is Beast.” If you’re traveling West, your body will have an easier time adjusting on the way there and a harder time adjusting on the way back. The reverse is true for the latter.

In conclusion, you don’t have to be afraid of traveling with a baby! Using my “Three R’s” for Travel Tips, you’ll be able to have a stress-free vacation (well, maybe not like the ones you had pre-parenthood … IFKYK … but fun nonetheless).

You have permission to enjoy your vacation! Try to give your kids a little structure with their sleep schedule: i.e. one nap per day at the hotel OR opt for an early bedtime if naps are on the go. However, don’t worry if you’re not by the book.

If napping on the go, invest in a travel white noise machine. This will help block out car or airplane noise. Wherever you’re resting your head (hotel room, rental home or family house), bring the white noise machine and blackout curtains! My family still laughs at me, but I travel with blackout curtains and thumbtacks, so that I can make any room cave-like dark for sleep. Whatever your choice, recreating the sleep environment will make your kids more comfortable sleeping in a new space.

When you return from vacation, expect to do a reset for two or three nights before everyone gets back on track. 

Go back to basics, adhere to the schedule, be firm with bedtime routines and you’ll be impressed by how flexible your kids can be! If you’ve just come back from vacation and you’re struggling with your baby, toddler, or preschooler’s sleep, feel free to book a call to learn more about my sleep programs.