Best travel sleep tips for littles

People are slowly starting to travel again since COVID brought the world to a halt. We took our first trip post-COVID to visit family in Saskatchewan this summer. I am immensely grateful we were able to do so safely, as most of my family is there, including my mom, two elderly grandmas, one niece and five nephews.

“Well-rested kids (and parents) are in better moods generally, making for a more enjoyable vacation. ”

Our girls are older now, past napping, so we are able to be more flexible with sleep when we travel. However, when they were younger, sleep was a priority when we travelled. Well-rested kids (and parents) are in better moods generally, making for a more enjoyable vacation.

Consistency is the best practice for keeping kids’ sleep on track while on a trip, whether travelling by car, train or plane. Sleep comes easier when we stick as closely as possible to our regular schedule, follow a familiar bedtime routine and create a conducive sleep environment (i.e., cave-like dark, reasonably quiet, comfortably cool).

Of course, it’s not always that simple. When you’re travelling across time zones, schedules might temporarily go out the window. Parents often debate whether they should put their kids to sleep according to the time zone at home or at their vacation location. Sleep spaces are naturally going to be different. Routines might have to change slightly. Travel times aren’t always within our control. But there is a lot parents can do to keep children sleeping well.

Here are some of my favourite sleep tips for travelling with kids:

• Start packing and preparing to travel early. Avoid the typical last-minute running around that will wear you out. Prioritize sleep for the whole family in advance, so you start your trip well rested.

• Be prepared for some disruption in the first three days as your little ones adjust.

• Plan to travel during nap times. If possible, leave 30 minutes before naptime usually starts so their bodies have time to settle and get sleepy.

• Don’t forget their naptime routine. It might not be exactly the same as at home, but even on the go you can read a book, sing a song and say a key phrase.

• If travelling across time zones of just a few hours difference, start shifting sleep schedules about two weeks before you travel, if you can. Start with 30-minute shifts for babies and one-hour shifts for toddlers. Hold the change for a few days before making another shift so their bodies can adjust. (You’ll want to adjust mealtimes as well.)

• If some naps are poor while you’re away, make bedtime earlier on those days to compensate. For a more enjoyable trip, it’s better to sacrifice some sight-seeing and ensure a well-rested, happier baby.

• Avoid sharing a bed with your baby or toddler if you don’t do so at home. This is confusing if it deviates from the sleep rules at home, and will make it difficult when you return home.

• Daylight and darkness are two strong signals for setting circadian rhythms (our internal body clocks) — use them to your advantage. Keep rooms dark for sleep times to help stimulate the release of melatonin (the sleepy hormone) and expose baby to light — natural if possible — each morning.

Don't forget to pack:

• transitional items (favourite stuffed toy, doll or blanket)

• bedding from home

• favourite jammies

• sleep sack

• favourite bedtime books

• favourite bath toy

• playpen

• sound machine

• blackout blinds (or heavy garbage bags)

“Consider how little you enjoy sitting for hours in a packed car — kids love it even less. ”

Long car rides

If you’re planning to take a long road trip with your littles, don’t expect to do it all in one day. Kids need exercise and fresh air. Consider how little you enjoy sitting for hours in a packed car — kids love it even less. Babies will need to stop every few hours to be fed and snuggled; toddlers will need potty breaks; and big kids will need to stretch their legs.

Travelling overseas

Heading overseas is totally different from travelling a few hours from home. If you’re travelling to a different country, determine your priorities for your trip and consider that country’s culture.

When our eldest daughter was one year old, we travelled to Italy. We decided we would prioritize an early bedtime during the trip, and be more flexible with naps, taking many of them on the go in the car or in the carrier. This was not a well-thought out plan as Italians, and in fact many countries around the world, eat supper quite late. Prioritizing an early bedtime for our baby/toddler meant we missed out on all the amazing food Italy has to offer, because no one was serving supper at 5 PM. If we were to do that again (which we wouldn’t!), we would have prioritized naps and sacrificed the early bedtime at least a few nights each week.

• Consider making your flight overnight, when kids are naturally most tired. Plus, the plane will be darker and quieter.

• A day of rest is best. Plan for your first day to be a rest day. When you arrive, get settled in and put your baby down for a nap if it’s more than three hours before bedtime. If baby naps, try to wake them two hours before bedtime to preserve bedtime as much as possible.

• Get on prime time. Set your clocks to local time and try to keep naps and bedtime close to what they are at home.

• Take a stride outside. On your second day, get everyone on the new time with exposure to natural light in the morning. Get outside, the fresh air will help give the kids (and you) some energy to stay awake until bedtime. Put them to bed a little early the first couple nights to help make up some sleep debt.

Good to know

Lengthier trips can be easier — on parents and kids. Kids usually need a couple nights to adjust to a new environment and regain balance from the excitement of seeing family or the novelty of a new place. A short trip of 2-4 days might not be long enough for kids to adjust. If it can’t be helped, do your best to prioritize sleep and help your kids get as much sleep as they can. Early bedtimes are your friend.

One last piece of advice: If you have a consistent response to bedtime battles and night wakes, you should keep that same response when you’re travelling. This sends the message to your kids that they can rely on you to support them the same way you always have regardless of where they are sleeping. Kids crave consistency and they thrive on it.

Sleep is never perfect, and tends to be even less so when taking kids travelling. Regardless of where you’re going, how you’re planning to get there and how long you’re going, as soon as you get home, get back to business as usual. Gradually readjust nap times, bedtimes and morning wake times as you did when preparing to travel — maintain the consistent, soothing bedtime routine they’re used to, and put them to sleep in their rooms.