Summer Travel Sleep Tips

With summer coming up quickly, many of us think of summer vacations we have scheduled. Whether you are road tripping a few hours away or hopping continents on a plane, there are ways you can help your child’s sleep along the way.

• If you know you are changing time zones, you can start to shift routines by 30-60 minutes a day for 2 or 3 days before you leave. To be the most effective try shift eating times, sleeping times, and wake times.

• Will light be a problem? We can’t easily bring black out curtains on trips, which can cause early wake ups from light, especially in AirBNBs. Bringing along a few black trash bags to tape over windows can be a quick solution to early-morning light.

• For plane or car sleep, try to make their small space as dark as possible. It’s not always easy but can help your baby sleep longer and deeper, preventing some overtiredness later.

• Use a white noise machine. This will be especially helpful if your family is all in one small hotel room.

• Try to offer naps at the same times you would at home.

• Get out in the sunlight soon after waking in the morning. This helps trigger natural wake and sleep rhythms to synch with the time zone you're in.

• On travel days, do what you have to for naps and sleep. Rocking and feeding to sleep, naps in the stroller, and cat naps are inevitable sometimes. Try to get back on track when you get to your destination or back home.

• Transition to new time zones as quickly as possible.

• Offer your child an early bedtime for a few days after getting home to combat any overtiredness that may have built up during your trip.

Taking a little bit of time to prepare for sleep challenges you may have can save your baby a lot of tired tears during your vacation.

Safe travels this summer!