The mere thought of holidaying with your baby or child can be nerve-racking, especially on that very first trip where you have no idea what to expect. There is so much to think about when travelling with little ones, from packing and planning to managing sleep schedules whilst away. So, while the thought of going off track with your little one’s sleep and routine, as well as worrying about jet lag afterwards can be stressful, being away on holiday can actually be a really lovely experience. Here are my top tips for managing sleep for your little ones on holiday. So please do take the plunge and start making memories with your beautiful babies and children!
Booking favorable flight times
If you are traveling overseas, it may be helpful to consider a night flight, especially if it is long haul. Your little one will then have sleep pressure, melatonin, and darkness on their side, making it easier for them to sleep. But please don’t worry if the flight timings aren’t quite on your side. You can always encourage your little one to nap at their normal timings, even if they are just quick cat naps; it will take the edge off any overtiredness during travel.
Helpful sleep accessories to pack
It's always worth taking a few of your baby or child’s familiar belongings that can support their sleep. Here's my quick checklist for you.
Preferred toy(s)
Bath toys and a bath thermometer
Favourite blanket or comforter
Travel blackout blinds
Portable white noise machine
Night light (generally for toddlers/older children)
Sleep Training clock (generally for toddlers/older children)
Sleeping bags, if used
Familiar bedtime stories
Pushchair shade such as the SnoozeShade
Flying smart with little ones
I always suggest packing a few essentials into your hand luggage:
Activities to keep your little one entertained
Snacks, snacks, and more snacks
Extra sleepwear, including their sleeping bag and comfortable clothing
A change of clothes for you, just in case!
Favourite teddy/comforter/dummy if they use one
If you are preparing for a night flight or your little one is due to nap on the flight, I recommend changing them into their sleepwear at the airport. This will make things easier on the flight and signal sleepy cues to your bubba.
Quite often, airlines will provide bassinets and allocated seating with extra leg room for families, but I always urge you to clarify this when booking. It can honestly make the journey a little bit more bearable.
Let's talk about take-off and landing when the air pressure changes. Babies and children are more vulnerable to ear pain during these times, so it is really important to ease this as much as possible to keep your little ones comfortable. The best way to do so is by offering your bubba a:
Milk Feed
Dummy
Drink
Snack
Lollipop
During take-off and landing. Select the most suitable and age-appropriate option from the list above. Please keep your little one awake during these moments as the sucking and chewing motion will help to equalize the air pressure faster and so keep them comfortable. This really is a game-changer!
If you are travelling with your partner, splitting the time chunks caring for your bubba between you can be helpful if this works for your family.
Once on board, having comforters, sleeping bags, and dummies (if used) on hand is important. Offering your bubba just a little familiarity when they are trying to sleep can be so comforting as it can be tricky to settle your little one to sleep on airplanes. There are so many distractions to contend with, and it is likely that sleep schedules will go out of the window. It can often be easier for little ones to settle to sleep during night flights due to a build-up of sleep pressure, melatonin, and darkness. Daytime flights can be trickier with all the noise and light, which really isn’t conducive to sleep. I always recommend supporting your bubba in whatever way they respond best and encouraging them to sleep at their normal times. For some babies and children, the motion and natural white noise created on flights can be quite soothing and enable sleep too. But please don’t worry if sleep isn’t as smooth sailing as you would hope; it's likely that your little one will drift off at some point or another.
Recreating your bubba’s home sleep space
On arrival at your destination, the best advice I can give is to set up your little one’s sleep space. You want to recreate their home sleep environment as best you can. Having some familiarity will ease their transition. Whatever your little one associates with sleep, whether that be their snuggly, favourite blanket or portable white noise machine, please do bring these things along and set them all up just as you would in their home sleep space.
If you are taking your travel crib along for the holiday, it’s worth your bubba having a few sleeps in there before you travel to make the adjustment easier.
A dark room will optimise sleep, so although extra luggage isn’t ideal, I really do feel it's worth bringing along some travel blackout blinds. They will help you all sleep! It is also important to consider the room temperature in your place of stay. This should ideally be between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius. Hotels generally have an inbuilt thermostat, but if you are staying elsewhere, you can always take a room thermometer with you.
Sleep on the day of arrival
It is worth thinking about your bubba’s sleep schedule when you reach your destination. For those of you arriving in the morning, especially if your little one has not slept well during the overnight flight, offering a nap to catch up on lost sleep is perfectly fine. Just be sure to ensure that this nap doesn’t turn into a marathon sleep, as this will then disrupt night time sleep. The idea is that you want to take the edge off their overtiredness.
If you are arriving on holiday during the afternoon and feel that your little one is shattered, offering them a short cat nap to tide them over till bedtime is fine.
When holidaying in a different time zone, your little one may wake up during the night. In this instance, I recommend keeping your interaction non-stimulating whilst aiming to resettle them back to sleep without turning on the lights.
Daylight exposure
If you are travelling into a different time zone, the quickest way to reset the internal body clock is to expose your bubba and yourself to daylight first thing. This can really help get in line with the local time quickly.
Recreating the bedtime routine
Your little one is probably used to a regular bedtime routine at home. Recreating this routine on holiday as best you can will help your bubba adjust well and signal sleep cues. Simple steps such as a warm bath with your little one’s favourite bath toys, a change into sleepwear, and a bedtime story or lullaby are just perfect for this before they settle to sleep.
Sleep schedules
I always recommend doing what best suits your family regarding your bubba’s sleep schedule on holiday. You might prefer to stick to the same routine as you would at home and that is perfectly fine. Alternatively, if you want to be a little more flexible and go with the flow with sleep schedules whilst away, this is totally fine too. Holidays are a time for you all to unwind, connect, and enjoy a change of scenery. Please don’t worry if the routine goes out of the window, as you can always get back on track once you’re back home.
Managing naps
Many of you won't want to be stuck in a hotel room while your baby naps, and that's completely understandable. Please remember that naps won’t necessarily happen in the exact same way and at the same time as they do at home. It is okay for your bubba to fall asleep in a pushchair or sling while you’re out and about if that’s what you want. As I always say, do what suits you and your family. If your little one is napping whilst you are out, a portable white noise machine can be a godsend. I also suggest using a pushchair shade such as the Snoozeshade for naps on the go. If possible, planning ahead for naps can be useful and help you plan your day.
What if you don’t want to have your dinner at 5 pm with your little one?
Please don’t get too tied down with timings if you want to sway away from normal routines whilst away. After all, it’s your holiday too. You can still go out for dinner if that suits your family. There are a couple of options to consider if you have young children.
You could follow your bubba’s bedtime routine and pop on their sleepwear before you head out for dinner. A walk can often help them drift off to sleep in a sling or pram before you dine. If they want to sleep before you leave for dinner, you can allow them to fall asleep in their sleep space and attempt a transfer into their sling or pram when you need to leave.
If you want your bubba to join you for dinner at a time they would normally be asleep, offering a little extra day sleep can really help to see them through to a later bedtime. This can be managed according to the age of your little one. I find that an additional afternoon or early evening nap can work wonders for babies and toddlers, depending on their nap schedule. If you have a pre-schooler who no longer naps but would struggle to stay away for your dinner time, offering them a nap in the afternoon, especially if they have had an active day, can often work well. Some children will sleep whilst others may protest sleep! It’s still worth a try, and if your child cannot manage an afternoon nap, you can offer them some quiet time, which could involve some colouring or even some screen time. This will take the edge off any overtiredness in the evening whilst you are out for dinner.
We all know things don’t always go according to plan with little ones, so if your dinner doesn’t work out as you had hoped, you can always head back. It doesn’t have to stop you trying again another day if that’s what you want.
I don’t want you to assume that your bubba’s sleep will always be plain sailing while you are away. Being flexible when things don’t go exactly to plan and adapting to change will take the pressure off you. You may not want to be constantly clock-watching and worrying about sticking to a schedule. It’s completely fine to take a more relaxed approach, and it’s also perfectly fine to stick to a routine and time frame similar to the one you have at home. I always advise that there really isn’t a right or wrong way to holiday with your children. Each family is unique, and so it's all about doing what suits your family best.
What is for sure is that you don’t need to put travel on the back burner after having kids. With some preparation, you can definitely have a memorable travel experience.
Happy Holidays X