Baby Sleep Tips for When You Travel
Hey there mama-Whether you’re going on a family trip or just to grandma’s house, it doesn’t have to come with the price of crummy sleep. There are things you can do to ensure your baby is set up to get great sleep, even away from home.
First, let’s talk about what to pack for on the go and what to do when you arrive.
If you’re traveling, my first and best advice is to set up your baby’s sleep space the moment you arrive. This will take away the pressure of figuring out set up for when your little one is ready to go down. It’s no fun scrambling to set up a pack and play or slumberpod when you have a baby melting down in your arms.
We did this when we took our first trip to Maui as a family of three with our three month old. I know, we were crazy. It was a three hour difference and our daughter started to melt down after we landed during our target pick up order. It was 4:30PM Maui time and 7:30PM at home 🫠
On the drive to the condo we made a plan that I would set up her pack and play right away, while my husband would unload the car. It was a perfect plan. When we got into the condo I set up her pack and play and sound machine, put her in her sleep sack, and she went right down. After we were able to unpack and shower while she slept.
how to pack for your little sleeper
My must haves include:
Pack and play
Monitor
Slumberpod
Home sound machine (our Hatch)
Travel sound machine with it’s charger
Dark cover for naps in the car seat or contact naps on the plane
Sleep sack (with a back up option if you have one- for accidents or different options for cooler/warmer temperatures)
how to get your baby to sleep well while away
Create a similar environment that you have at home. I love the slumberpod for it’s compact packing and ability to blackout any pack and play/ crib. Bring a sheet from home for the same smell and feel your baby has in their crib. Set up your monitor and home sound machine, and use your travel sound machine outside their door to block out excess noise during naps or early bedtimes. Use your same sleep sack and bring a back up if you have one for accidents or as another lighter/ thicker option for different temperatures you may encounter.
If you are room sharing, place the sound machine between you and your baby. This will help limit the noise you make turning or snoring during the night that could wake your baby.
Stick close to the same routines you have at home. Try to keep a similar nap schedule while allowing some flexibility for earlier/ later nap times if you have planned events. Your baby is adaptable but they still have sleep needs. So don’t feel like you need to miss out on your 11:30AM activity because your baby usually sleeps from 10AM-12PM. Instead, try to put them down around 9:30AM and wake them up closer to 11/11:15AM.
I strongly suggest keeping your normal bedtime window and aim for an earlier bedtime if naps weren’t great that day.
Trust me it’s better to have a well rested baby than push their limits for a late night hang out.
how to survive time changes
For time changes be patient and know it can take about a week to adjust to a new timezone and another to adjust back. If possible, try moving naps and bedtime by a half hour at a time.
For example if you travel three hours ahead, try putting your baby down around 9:30PM/10PM (6:30/7PM home time). And wake them up around 8AM the next morning, moving each day closer to your 6AM-7AM wake up time as their bedtime normalizes more. Move bedtime up by a half hour each night until you’re close to your 7-8 PM bedtime.
When you get home or if you’re traveling in the opposite direction of time, do the reverse.
Plan to put your baby to sleep earlier than usual. For a home time of 4:30PM (7:30PM travel time), try to put them to sleep around 5/5:30PM and slowly move that time later by 30 minutes each night. If they wake early try to keep the room dark and leave them in their crib/ pack and play for another 15-30 minutes. Taking them out early and exposing them to light and sound will only continue to reinforce their early waking.
Remember to always listen to your baby’s sleepy cues (yawning, rubbing eyes, looking disinterested).
Older babies and toddlers won’t always give you these signals, so make don’t be afraid to make naptime/bedtime decisions for them.
All in all, enjoy your time away and do your best to be flexible and not stress your baby's schedule.
Your good sleeper will still be there when you get home.
In the meantime, do your best to accommodate your little sleeper’s needs while still enjoying your time away.
As always sleep well,
Sar