You've booked the holiday, renewed your passports, dusted off your suitcase and now you're panicking about how on earth your little one will sleep on the plane/ in a travel cot/ in a bright hotel room/ on the go. I want to validate your worry but also reassure you that there are some steps you can take to support your little one to sleep well while on holiday. They don't involve buying any expensive gadgets and they come with minimal stress. Here we go....
Sleep at the airport or on the plane
If your flight time means your little one will need a nap before your flight, take a fold up stroller or carrier for your little one to sleep in. If you have a safe black out cover for the pram and a portable white noise machine - even better. If you're worried about whether they will sleep on the plane, once again the carrier is your friend, as are cuddles and feeding. Think low pressure on this one - it's likely the flight might be a little noisy and over stimulating for your little one so try and go with the flow. On our second holiday our son's nap time coincided with our flight - he didn't fall asleep on the plane but he completely crashed on the transfer to the hotel. The point I'm making is - be flexible and keep your expectations realistic.
Replicate the sleep environment
Depending on the age of your little one, it’s likely they’re pretty used to their sleep environment – whether that’s in your bedroom, in your bed, in their own cot, or in their own room. While you won’t be able to fully replicate the sleep environment, you can take steps to make it as familiar as possible so pack as many things as you can to do so. Here are some ideas:
- Slept in cot sheets and pyjamas
- White noise machine
- Red/ amber light
- Sleeping bag
- Comforter
- Books
Black out solution
I don’t know about you but when I book a hotel, I always consider the sleep situation and one of my priorities is whether the doors/ windows/ roof windows can be blacked out! Packing black out blinds isn’t really practical as chances are your black out blinds from home will not be the right size, but don’t worry I’ve got the best, low cost solution for you – buy a cheap roll of tin foil, pack some scissors and some tape and you can rest assured your little one will not be woken up by the early morning light. Apply it with water on the glass panes and remove just before you check out. Snoozeshade sell a cot shade which I used to use when my children were younger.
Practise sleep in a travel cot
If you plan to have your baby/ child sleep in a travel cot, have some trial runs before you go. Pop it in their room or yours for some naps and work up to some overnight sleep too. Remember to keep all other routines the same to help them feel safe and secure in this new sleep space. If your little one doesn’t take to it well, start out by reading some books in the cot or singing some songs. Remember to keep everything low pressure.
Plan for some contact naps in the carrier or pram
When you’re on holiday you probably don’t want to be returning to your room several times a day so your baby can nap. Equally, even if you do, the new environment and excitement or apprehension that comes with this, may mean your little doesn’t play ball anyway. So instead of hauling everything back to your room and sitting in the dark, pop your little one in the carrier or go for a shady walk with a safe blackout solution and take in the sights. You may even find a nice spot to take a break at while you’re out (think bar/cafe vibes/ breezy spot by the beach). That being said, if you’re keen for a lie down with your baby at nap time, go for it! If you know your baby sleeps best in a certain set up, plan for a couple of naps which allow them to take a nice long snooze so they can catch up a little if needed.
Bear in mind time differences
Some little ones are more sensitive to these changes than others. If your baby is very predictable and relies on set routines, times and schedules, you may want to consider gradually shifting closer to the new time zone before you travel. However, don’t let this stress you out – if this sounds too much, your baby will soon adjust to the new time once you arrive – just try to shift onto the new time as soon as you can.
Anything goes - all rules out the window
If your little one usually falls asleep independently but you find yourself having to give them more support while you’re away, don’t sweat it. It’s to be expected that they may need extra comfort while they’re in a new and unfamiliar environment. You are their safe place so do expect them to depend on you. Whether you need to rock to sleep/ co-sleep/ hold their hand/ stroke their face/ offer extra feeds/ read more stories than usual – anything goes! Please don’t worry about making ‘bad’ habits – they simply need to feel safe and secure and dependence breeds independence.
Keep your expectations low
You’re bound to have a few hiccups along the way. New environment, new country, potentially a different time zone, different foods, shorter nap than usual, later bedtime than usual – all these changes may (but may not) have an impact on sleep. It’s to be expected. I too never sleep as well on holiday as I do at home, so expect a few bumps and nothing should come as too much as a shock!
Let it go and have fun
Remember holidays should be fun so please don’t let the sleep side of things get in the way of that. For the sake of a week or two, some things really are just worth letting go. Later nap? No problem, offer a later bedtime. Missed nap? Don't worry, try an earlier bedtime or later nap. Short nap? Keep calm, offer another sleep opportunity. You can only try your best and babies are people with real emotions so many factors simply aren’t in your control. Do what you can, have some flexibility and enjoy this special time with your special people!
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