Help Your Child Sleep While Travelling

I love to travel almost as much as I love sleep. And the good news is that you don’t have to choose one over the other. Your kids can sleep while travelling (and you can too). Travel was never something we were willing to give up just because we became parents. Children are super mobile and adaptive if you give them the opportunity to be.

Carolina had been on 13 flights, visited three provinces and eight states by the time she was 9 months old. Even through the travel setbacks of you know what we’ve been able to take her to see more of North America. She’s turning three next month and she’s now been on 17 flights, three major road trips (5000+ kms), countless smaller road trips, and has visited four provinces and 19 states.

All that to say…I have A LOT of experience travelling with a kid. I’ve learned a lot about what works well and what doesn’t work so well when it comes to managing sleep while travelling.

I am going to share with you some things that you can implement on your next trip away from home.

Road travel

Our family loves road trips. This is definitely our preferred method of travel, especially since becoming parents. We took our first major road trip (6000+ kms round trip) when Carolina was 14 months old. We love road travel because when you are in a vehicle you are in control of so much more…like the timing of the drive.

My best advice for road travel is to drive at times when your child is usually asleep. We have done this when my husband is already on a night shift schedule and could easily stay awake for the drive. While driving through the night is not feasible for most families, I do like to leave in the early mornings. It’s still dark out and your child is used to sleeping in those hours so it will often lead to your child falling back to sleep once the vehicle gets moving.

The night before, put on easy travel PJs. I recommend choosing a two-piece set because it makes it easier for quick diaper changes and it will be comfortable in the car seat the next day.

In the morning, do a quick diaper change or use the potty then straight into the car. Carolina is usually half asleep and in no mood for food, so we don’t offer a snack at that time.

During the drive, plan your stops for when your child is awake. There is nothing worse than needing to stop for gas right after the baby falls asleep. Obviously, we can’t always plan out the stops perfectly but if you notice that baby has been awake for a while and is getting quiet, it may be a good idea to fill up the tank.

Pit stops

It’s good to get your child out of their car seat at each stop so that they get to stretch out and move around. I do not like to give snacks in the car seat because I’m petrified of choking, so I always offer something to eat at pit stops.

Depending on how long the drive is, we typically like to have a quality stop once every 4-5 hours. A quality stop would be one that is about 30 minutes and gives your child the opportunity to exert some energy and have something to eat. Mapping out playgrounds ahead of time is a great stop for a road trip. It gives your kids the opportunity to really work off some of that energy and there’s usually picnic tables so you can enjoy a road trip lunch.

We have been known to have quality stops at Walmart. We are all able to get out and walk around the store, gather some food for lunch, then eat it on the tailgate in the parking lot. Sometimes, we will take the food to a nicer parking lot to eat. Depends on our adventure level for the day!

After a quality stop, little ones that are still in the napping stage will likely go to sleep while travelling the open road again.

**Note it is recommended to stop every 2 hours. Do what works for your family within your own comfort level.**

Air Travel

The only good thing about air travel is that it gets you from point A to point B faster. Well that, and the Biscoff cookies but I discovered a few years ago that you can buy those on Amazon, so it’s really just the fact that air travel is faster than driving.

When it comes to getting your child to sleep while travelling on airplanes and through airports, I don’t want to sugar coat it. It’s not the easiest.

The first thing that you can try, is the timing again. If it’s at all feasible, I recommend trying to choose a flight that is during a nap time. A flight is only exciting for so long and before you know it the boredom sets in, so it’s best to have at least part of the flight spent sleeping.

If your journey requires a layover (or two), I recommend choosing an option that will allow you to have a longer layover. A longer layover (2-3 hours) will give your little one the opportunity to exert some energy in between flights.

But how are you going to get your baby to sleep while travelling on an airplane?

Good question!

All you can do is the best you can. And a lot of it will depend how sensitive your baby is about their sleep environment. One good thing about airplanes is that they basically sound like a white noise machine so that piece of the sleep environment is covered.

Baby on lap

If you have a baby with a lap ticket you can try swaying in your seat to settle them to sleep or if the opportunity is available, you can stand or walk in the aisle to settle your baby. I have done this many times. I usually try to choose a seat near the back of the plane – I know, I know! You’re thinking that’s the worst seat on the plane but it’s the easiest for accessing an area to stand in and bounce a fussy baby. Plus you’re out of the flight attendants’ way who are serving up Biscoff cookies and tiny cups of Coke.

Their own seat

If your baby or child is in their own seat, then I would strongly encourage you to bring their car seat on the plane. It’s seriously the best! You should first check with the airline to make sure that your car seat has the correct credentials they require. Sometimes they check, sometimes they don’t! Your child is used to it, they are likely used to sleeping in it, and it keeps their butt in the seat for the flight. Not to mention the safety benefits! It is much easier for your child to fall asleep in their own car seat than it would be for them to fall asleep in the giant, slippery airplane sleep.

I know that many parents feel like it’s a hassle to haul a car seat through the airport but we found that the benefits it provides on the airplane far outweigh any inconvenience it may cause. We have a car seat backpack that the seat goes into for easy hauling through the airport. It also fits well in our wagon. You’ve probably heard some horror stories about car seats getting lost or damaged when they are checked with luggage. Bringing your own car seat ensures that your car seat is being handled with the care it needs and that you actually have it at your final destination!

Spending the Night Away

Whether you are staying in a hotel or a house while you are traveling, the number one thing I can recommend is for you to do prep work

If your little is still in a crib, you’ll want to bring some sort of travel crib with you. I used to set up our playpen in the nursery for a few nights before the trip so Carolina could get used to sleeping in but in a familiar environment. That way she was comfortable with that sleep space, so the unfamiliar environment didn’t make much of an impact.

**** An important note about using a playpen for sleep while traveling. The government of Canada does not recommend using a playpen for sleep because they are not as sturdy as a crib. They do however offer guidelines for how to use it while you travel, if you choose to. ****

If your little is old enough and uses a blanket or lovey at home, be sure to bring it with you. The familiar feel and smell will be comforting!

Hotel Stays

As much as you can, try to keep up your child’s bedtime and bedtime routine while you are away. Before bedtime begins, set the room up to be more conducive to sleep.

Turn out all the lights and block out any light that is coming from the window. Using an extra blanket or a couple of jackets at the bottom of the curtains is usually enough. But some hotels have quirky curtains that leak a lot of light through. For these cases I recommend packing a SlumberPod (Use Code: lavenderlittles_sleep$20 for $20 off) if your little one is still in a travel crib or toddler bed.

Besides being a great darkness solution while travelling, the SlumberPod (Use Code: lavenderlittles_sleep$20 for $20 off) also offers a fantastic solution for room sharing. Gone are the days of squeezing the playpen into a hotel closet or bathroom. The SlumberPod doesn’t block out all the noise so you will still need to keep the room quiet once your little one has retired to the SlumberPod for the night. I recommend bringing some earbuds and plugging in to a podcast or Netflix on your tablet!

Bring a white noise machine. You’ve never appreciated a white noise machine more than when you are in a hotel room completely surrounded by unfamiliar noises. If you forget your machine at home, you can get the sound on your phone!

House Stays

Maybe your travels will lead you to a family member’s home or an Airbnb. In these arrangements, you would follow most of the same things I talked about with hotel stays. The only difference is that you don’t have to camp out with earbuds in the dark at 7pm because you can hang out in other rooms.

Speaking of other rooms…this can be a benefit to house stays with kids. If your child is used to their own room at home, then they will likely do better with their own room while travelling too. Bring your baby monitor so you can keep an eye on them like you do at home. It’s not always possible that the house you are staying in will have enough rooms for this arrangement but if it’s a possibility, I’d jump on it. Even with the SlumberPod (Use Code: lavenderlittles_sleep$20 for $20 off) for room sharing, having separate room is still a better option for everyone if there aren’t distractions from other people in the room that you aren’t used to sleeping near. You know kids are such noisy sleepers!

Napping On the Go

Chances are that while you are away from home you’ll be out and about. This can cause a lot of anxiety around naptime. I want to encourage you to implement the 80/20 rule.

The 80/20 rule means that 80% of the time you are following routines and structure for your littles but the other 20% of the time you allow your family to go off schedule and have flexibility.

So, when you are away from home you can be flexible with your schedule to allow for outings that may fall during naptime. It’s still best to respect your little’s sleep needs as best you can. A nap on the go is a fine alternative while you are out and about. A carrier, stroller or car nap can offer the relief your little needs in order to make it to bedtime. A nap on the go is most beneficial if it lasts at least one sleep cycle – about 45 minutes.

What if Sleep While Travelling is Not Going as Planned?

Things happen! If while you are away sleep falls a little further off course than you intended, it’s okay. I always like to remind parents to have grace with themselves. It’s nearly impossible to be perfect with your schedule all of the time.

I am very guilty of letting sleep fall by the wayside while away from home. Which is how I am able to tell you that it will be okay!

I still believe that you should try your very best to maintain strong sleep skills and schedule because it makes it easier for everyone. But if it does undo while you are away you can get it back. Once you return home, you will need to commit to your pre-trip sleep structure. You can expect to be met with some protest as your child adjusts back to their normal sleep routines. Holding firm to your boundaries is so important for getting back on track. Falling into travel habits when you get back will only make it that much harder for your child to adjust.

Things to Add to Your Packing List

While you are away, there are somethings that you can add to your packing list to make sleep while travelling easier.

• Monitor
• Sound machine
• Lovey, blanket
• Bedtime books
• SlumberPod (Use Code: lavenderlittles_sleep$20 for $20 off)
• Earbuds

Whew! This was longer than I intended it to be! I hope you found some value in reading this and are feeling confident that you can help manage sleep while travelling for your entire family. If you found this helpful, please share this link with your friends and family!

You may also find this blog helpful that I wrote during the holidays. It walks you through how to prioritize sleep during family gatherings but will also apply to travel!