Traveling with little ones? Here’s how to help them sleep

Colette McCann, Certified Child Sleep Consultant and Parent Coach of www.phoenixdreams.ie, shares her top travel and sleep tips to keep your little ones happy and well rested while you’re on the move.

1. Flexibility

A level of flexibility is key with any child’s routine especially on holiday. Realistically some more movement naps may be required (naps in the car/stroller), however try and allow your little one nap in their travel cot or safe sleep environment, when possible, to afford them the opportunity for more restorative sleep.

For bedtime, if you feel this is going to be slightly later occasionally while away, I recommend compensating with slightly earlier bedtimes on other nights to avoid a build-up of overtiredness, which may be reflected in your little one’s form, feeding, and unsettled sleeps with potential night wakings/early risings.

If your child is of napping age, it can also be helpful to allow your baby or toddler to nap for slightly longer during the day if bedtime will be a little later that evening. Some children are more sensitive to change than others, and babies under the age of one can be very sensitive to extended awake periods.

2. Familiarity
Bring something familiar belonging to your little one on your trip. If they have a comforter, teddy, or blanket for example, bring it along. I recommend bringing along their familiar sleep bag, and if you need to bring along bed linen for your trip, bring along the sheets they have slept on the previous night for that sense of familiarity and scent of home.

3. Black-out blinds

Bring along portable black out blinds if you have them to keep your child’s sleep space dark and ensuring an optimal sleep environment. There are many compact travel blinds available on the market. A good alternative is to bring along a heavy duty black refuse bag and some tape to create your own temporary blinds.

4. Napping in transit

If you have a long car journey to start/finish your trip and your little one sleeps with ease in the car, I recommend leaving 30 minutes before their nap time so that once they settle into the journey and their new environment, they should fall asleep for their nap, and this should ease any restlessness in the car.

For certain flights especially non-EU flights, it may be possible to book a bassinet for your baby so they can sleep more soundly. It’s always a good idea to check with your airline in advance.

I would also add that at the toddler stage, some fresh air and exercise in advance of the journey can reduce restlessness on the car/plane journey and help with a nap.

5. Bring along a white noise machine

I highly recommend a portable white noise machine when travelling with a baby. This can help with naps on the go in busy and noisy areas, and it also acts as a buffer for environmental sounds inside your overnight accommodation particularly if you are room sharing/have more than one child sharing a bedroom.

6. Dark out shades for your buggy

I recommend a dark out shade for your buggy for naps on the go. Dark out shades/parasols can help babies and toddlers nap with more ease and protect them from the bright sunlight.

7. Luggage

When taking a flight with children, check in all hand luggage at the airport that you don’t require to bring on board. Most airlines allow you to do this free of charge and it frees up your hands and it helps make the airport experience more seamless. Most airlines allow you to bring your stroller right to the aircraft door also which is very helpful.

8. Feeding/soother at take-off and landing

If you are taking a flight as part of your trip, if your child uses a soother/pacifier, this can really help at the take-off and landing stage and assists in reducing any issues with their ears during flights. If not, a bottle feed/nursing works very well here too, and it can really help relax your little one and encourage them to take a nap.

9. Activity packs

I recommend an activity pack from the toddler stage upwards to keep them entertained on the car journey/flight. This can be as simple as some crayons and a colouring book, or lots of parents find purchasing some inexpensive small toys from a discount store can be useful as the novelty of playing with new toys helps with their short attention span.

10. Relax and enjoy
Don’t stress so much about your little one’s sleep schedule that it impacts on your overall trip. The key is to go straight back into your typical schedule when you return home and leave any holiday sleep associations back at your holiday destination unless you wish to bring them home of course.

For more sleep tips and parenting advice, visit www.phoenixdreams.ie and accompanying social medical channels.