The question I get asked the most about traveling is, how did your baby sleep? This is a very honest question because we all know, if baby doesn’t sleep, mom and dad don’t sleep. And if no one sleeps, vacations aren’t fun anymore. First, is your baby sleeping through the night at home? If not, the reality is your baby isn’t going to sleep well anywhere else. I would definitely work on at home sleep first and for that I would research the TakingCaraBabies course – you can thank me later on this one 😉 Second, the best advice I ever got was, always start off with a well-rested little one! And boy, is this true!!
This is probably the hardest part about traveling with little ones – unfamiliar environments and time zones! You know how adults always say, “It’s so good to be back home in my own bed”? Well babies, toddlers, kids, they all feel the same way. There is nothing better than a good night of sleep in your own bed. You just don’t get this from a strange bed in an unfamiliar place. And think about how hard it is for us adults to adjust to a new time zone, and we know the difference between morning and night. It’s even harder for your little one since they don’t understand the concept of time.
Anywhere we travel I always try to recreate Jacob’s sleep environment and bedtime routine. If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I’m obsessed with good sleep! Anyways, back to what I was saying. There are a few things I can’t always give Jacob when traveling, like his own room which he’s used to, but I have found that since I go to bed later than him, he falls asleep without anyone in the room, as if it were his own. If we are in a hotel (which is pretty rare since we prefer Airbnbs click here for more on that topic) putting a pack n’ play in a closet or bathroom is always an option too. I’ve also learned through experience that if your baby or toddler is not used to sleeping in a bed with you, do not try it on vacation. I learned this the hard way, I even tried it a few times hoping that each time it would be different and it wasn’t. Even though Jacob was in his DockATot next to me, every time I moved he moved and eventually when I would move (unknowingly) at the lightest point of his sleep cycle it would wake him up. If you didn’t already guess, the next two nights of our last trip I slept on the floor. I made a comfy bed on the floor next to him and we both slept soundly.
What I can give Jacob when we travel are the material things like his DockATot and a travel sound machine (my favorite is the Rohm). And yes, the girl who likes to travel with a little as possible will schlep a DockATot half way around the world. It’s been a sleep blessing and curse! But more on that later. Hopefully, you don’t have to bring a DockATot but I suggest bringing your little one’s sheet that smells like home and a sound machine if you use one. And always bring their favorite blankie or lovey. I also try to keep Jacob’s bedtime routine pretty consistent to – bath, book, sound machine, sleep sack, and a little rocking with blankie and Curious George before I put him in his DockATot. These are Jacob’s comforts and although he knows we are in a foreign place they make him feel safe and secure.
As for adjusting to the time zones, if we are traveling to the East Coast I keep Jacob’s bedtime the same as if we were at home. That means he’s staying up a little later according to the clock, not his body, and who doesn’t like to stay up a little later on vacation? I know I always do. If I keep Jacob’s schedule the same as if we were at home (9:30 EST or 10:00 EST), it’s later to bed and later to rise for the both of us. I’ve also found this helpful for adjusting when we get home. Mind you, we’ve never spent more than a week on the East Coast, so I’m sure if we were there longer his bedtime would probably start to fall into more of a 7:30 pm to 8:00 pm EST routine.
I can’t speak from a lot of experience, since we are usually flying East for vacation, but I’ve heard that if you are traveling from the East to West, you should push your little one’s bedtime back a little later each night for about a week before you leave. They won’t be completely adjusted but at least you can help prevent your child from being overtired at night or from falling asleep at 4:30pm.
The big one – traveling internationally! This is a whole different story! I wish I had some magical answer to guarantee that you aren’t going to have at least one, maybe a few bad nights, but I will say it’s not as bad as you think. For me, a few nights of 5-6 hours sleep didn’t even compare to the up every 3-4 hour newborn stage. And to be honest, there really isn’t much you can do to prepare for an 7-10 hour time difference (or whatever the difference may be) BUT what you can do is start with a well-rested family, that includes you and little one! And you can start with the right mindset and expectations. Once you get to your destination start with the most basic, if it’s daytime go outside and use the sunshine to your advantage and if its nighttime, make it feel like bedtime and start your wind down routine. Also, make sure to follow your child’s sleep cues and most importantly, stay relaxed.
On our trip to France I decided a 9pm – 9am routine would work best for us. During the day I let Jacob nap whenever he wanted but wouldn’t let him sleep longer than 2 hours (a TakingCaraBabies tip). I also made sure to wake him 2.5-3 hours before 9pm so I was sure he would go down for the night. At 8:30 we started his bedtime routine. He slept from 9pm-8:30am the first two nights. Then the third night when he woke up at 3am, I played with him in the dark for 2 hours and before I knew he was ready to go back to sleep. He also had a few early morning wakings, but surprisingly, before I knew it he was right back on a schedule . You may be surprised that by all the stimulation little one gets throughout the day that they may sleep great!
Every child is different but try to be as consistent as possible when it comes to bedtime and your child’s sleep environment. Please try to remember to be patient and realize that whatever hiccups do happen will not last forever. Relax, and enjoy yourself! Picking the right flight to your destination is also key. Click here for more on how to pick the best flight to get you and your little one to your destination happy!