How to Maintain a Sleep Routine While Traveling with a Baby

Spring Break is just around the corner. If you have travel plans, you might be worried about your baby’s sleep being disrupted. We get it! Baby sleep can be unpredictable, especially if you’ve got multiple places to be, planes to catch, or people to see. It seems that even the best sleeper can be thrown off with travel plans. We’re here to reassure you that with the right plan in place, your bub can still get the rest they need, and you can have an enjoyable time away. 

In this guide, we’ll take you through how vacations can impact a baby’s sleep routine, the changes you can expect to see, how you can prepare ahead of your travel plans, and tips to maintain your baby’s sleep routine when travelling.

Babies and toddlers thrive on routine, especially when it comes to sleep. Babies associate where they sleep like the crib, routines like bathtime, and cues like a sleep bag with when it’s time to rest. Being on vacation throws it all off. The days can be filled with new activities, places, and people - causing your little one to be overstimulated and leading to difficulty falling asleep. Other factors that can disrupt your bub’s sleep routine are missed naps, shorter naps, and jet lag.

Good news! There are things you can do before travelling with your baby to help them maintain their sleep schedule. These include: 

• Book an early flight: If your flight is only a few hours long, consider taking an early morning flight. An early flight would also be beneficial in case of any delays that could disrupt your baby’s sleep. If that isn’t an option, you can book a flight that takes off during your baby’s first nap to hopefully get the nap in. If your flight is a longer one, consider taking a flight when they’re supposed to be sleeping for the night.
• Mimic your baby’s sleep setup at home: If you’re in a hotel and your baby usually sleeps in a separate sleep space, you have a few options: 
• Book a suite with a living room or separate suite that could double as their “nursery” 
• Use a well-ventilated bathroom or office space as a “nursery”
• Ask the hotel for a crib or pack and play and use a blackout cover like the SlumberPod 
• Use the same sleep cues/routine: Pack items like a sleep bag, swaddle, sound machine, crib sheet

If you’re flying with your baby, sleep is still possible! Follow our tips above about scheduling flights. Give your baby time to “wind down” and settle into the space beforehand and then you can start a makeshift sleep routine. Remember, bring all the familiar items like the bedtime books, sleep bag, and sound machie.

Keeping your baby’s sleep schedule to their normal schedule could give them better sleep. However, it’s not always possible when you’re travelling, especially if you’ve got another child or are travelling with friends and family. Being flexible and patient will save you a lot of stress. Here are some tips to maintain your baby’s sleep schedule while you’re on vacation for Spring Break: 

• Sunlight exposure helps your baby know when it’s time to play and when it’s time to sleep. If you’re travelling to a different time zone, sunlight will help reset your baby’s brain’s melatonin and help them regulate their sleep. 
• Aim for one good nap a day. Doing this can help them minimize overtiredness. If you have to pick one nap, we suggest the first nap to help them set their day up for success.
• Watch their sleep cues. Babies and toddlers can appear to tolerate a longer wake window when they’re out having fun - and have no idea they’re tired - making them overtired and cranky. While you’re out and about, keep an eye out for their sleep cues like rubbing their eyes, zoning out, etc. If you need to, do a nap on-the-go either in a baby carrier, stroller, or in your arms. 
• Add catnap if you need to stay out late to minimize the chances of your baby being overtired. 
• Make bedtime earlier if you suspect your baby has had too much missed daytime sleep. 
• Keep you baby’s sleep space dark during the early morning hours and at night so they can adjust to any time zone changes.
  

While trying to maintain your baby’s sleep schedule on vacation, remember to keep your sleep space safe - on a firm mattress, free of soft objects or blankets, with a fitted sheet, and baby sleeps on their back. Also, you’ll need to check the space out for potential safety hazards like curtains, cords, outlets, or heaters near their sleep space. 

Time zone changes can feel intimating but rest assure that your little one will sleep eventually! Depending on the direction you’re travelling, the approach to maintaining your baby’s sleep schedule is different. 

• From east to west: Travelling from east to west means the new time zone is earlier than at home. For example, bedtime might be at 7:30pm but while you’re traveling, that’s 1:30pm. In this situation, you could try adding an extra cap nap in or trying to keep them awake a bit longer (30 minutes maximum). Watch for their sleep cues so you can avoid your baby being overtired. 
• From west to east: This is actually the ideal time zone change and works better than if you’re travelling from east to west. That’s because your baby will go to bed a little later and you can enjoy being out a bit later without having to worry about rushing back “home”. 
  

Sometimes, you’ll notice that even if you baby was sleeping through the night or having less wakeups that they’re waking up a lot more during the night while away. Rest assure that this happens even with all the planning - and they will sleep again. 

Traveling with a baby can bring up challenges like sleep disruptions but with the right planning, flexilbility, and patience, we assure you that you and your baby will get some sleep! 

Need some baby sleep essentials for your Spring Break vacation? We’ve got you covered - shop our collection today. 

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