Some parents find it difficult to get their baby to sleep when traveling. Maybe you’ve been working hard to get your baby sleep on vocation all the night at home and you don’t want to lose that progress. How to get your baby to sleep on the plane, how to get your baby to nap on the go, and how to get your baby to handle a different sleep environment are some of the things you might be worried about. You aren’t the only parent with those concerns, that’s for sure. The posts were written to help parents with concerns about baby sleep when traveling.
12 Tips to Help your Baby Sleep on Vacation
While there are some similarities between our tips for getting a baby to sleep on vacation and the advice from WeeSleep, these tips are what have worked best for our own baby and toddler to sleep on vacation. We hope that the combination of baby and toddler sleep tips from real parents who have tried many things while traveling in conjunction with the advice from baby sleep experts will give you what you need to have success in getting your baby sleep more on your holiday! Read also Travel Toys For 1 Year Old- Best Essential for Baby Trip.
1. Follow your baby’s sleep schedule even on vacation.
It is easier to travel with an infant before they are on a sleep schedule. If your baby is on a sleep schedule, you have to decide if you will stick to it on vacation. If you are worried your baby won’t sleep on vacation, we always found that sticking as close as possible to our baby’s sleep schedule while traveling made sleep easier.
We would try to plan naps around the same time on flights and in the car, even though it wasn’t always possible. We would take a day to catch up on sleep after we found our baby or toddler showing signs of being very tired. We might have to return to our hotel or baby-friendly apartment for two naps with some outdoor play time outside. It always made for better days to follow, even though it felt like we were wasting a day.
2. Consider an even earlier bedtime
When traveling with a baby or toddler it can be even more tiring. We knew our little ones were more tired than us because of how tired we were. It was a good idea to give them an even earlier night’s sleep to keep them happy the next day.
We understand. Going out for late dinners and enjoying a new place is what vacations are for. We had to remind ourselves that this was a fleeting experience. It was more enjoyable when everyone was well-rested.
3. Find a way to manage naps while traveling that works for your family
Getting a baby to sleep anywhere is helpful for traveling with a baby, but this doesn’t always work for all babies and toddlers. We wish we had a magic trick for getting our baby to sleep on the go, but it was always hit or miss with our daughter.
Having at least one good nap each day was what we found to be the best way to get the best toddler sleep on vacation. We tried to do the second nap on the go, but it didn’t work out. If the second nap didn’t happen, we’d adjust the time of bed to make up for it.
4. Stick to your bedtime routine
We always tried to do the key parts of the routine, even if it isn’t always possible. We usually put on pajamas, feed our baby, and read stories. We did this even if we were on a plane or in a hotel. If bath time is important to you, you might want to pack an inflatable tub or give a sink bath.
5. Create a familiar sleep environment
We brought our baby’s sleep sack with us when we traveled. At night time, we used a white noise machine. When we traveled with our baby, we made sure that we must have baby travel items with us. Our familiar sleep environment was created by those two items, along with our usual routine.
It was always dark in our baby’s room at home so we tried to recreate it as much as possible. If you are sharing a hotel room with a baby or toddler, the SlumberPod is the best way to do this. If you are moving a lot, having your own travel crib for babies or toddler travel bed is a good way to keep that familiar sleep environment.
6. Get on the local schedule
Combating toddler or baby jet lag can be accomplished by getting on a local schedule right away. As soon as we get here, we get on the local schedule. Our baby’s sleep schedule is incorporated into the local schedule.
7. Give your baby or toddler time to play every day
It was a difficult lesson for us to learn. We didn’t realize how much this would affect our baby’s sleep on vacation, but when she wasn’t getting enough time to play during the day, it would affect both her naps and nighttime sleep.
8. Don’t use baby travel sleep options for the first time on vacation
This applies to toddler travels sleep options as well. It’s not a good idea to use a travel crib or toddler travel bed for the first time on vacation. Sometimes it is necessary to use a hotel crib for your baby, but make sure you have other items to make it a familiar sleep environment for your child.
If you have bought a baby travel crib or toddler travel bed, you should try it out at home. We try to get it before we sleep. We will try a nighttime sleep after getting a few successful naps on it. If your baby won’t sleep in a travel crib or pack n’ play, try it in their room at home, where it’s familiar.
9. Practice getting your baby to sleep anywhere
If your baby or toddler is used to sleeping in their crib at home with the room completely dark, they might not be able to nap on the go as easily as you would think. It’s a good idea to take a nap at home before you travel with your baby.
10. Get outside
Everyone gets a better night’s sleep when they have plenty of fresh air. It’s important to give your baby or toddler time to explore outside. If you have a baby or toddler, parks are a great place to take a picnic lunch and relax while you burn off some calories.
11. Get your baby to sleep on the flight
If possible, start your vacation with your baby or toddler well rested. It is much easier to get a baby or toddler to sleep if they are not tired. If you are flying with a baby, use a familiar routine on the flight to help them sleep.
If you are flying with a lap infant, packing a good baby carrier is a great way to get your baby to sleep on the plane.
12. A vacation is not the time to do things completely different
It is not a good idea to completely throw your baby’s sleep routines and naps out the window while you are on vacation. Your baby is going to be very stimulated by the new environment and may need more sleep than at home. It wasn’t going to be like this forever, we always reminded ourselves.
If you can plan ahead, you will be able to give your baby as much sleep as possible while on vacation. By this, we mean choosing a baby-friendly hotel room or a rental apartment that gives you a separate room or a balcony. While your baby sleeps, this will allow you to still enjoy your time.
