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Travel Sleep Tips for Babies, Toddlers & Children
By: Colleen Lanin, The Travel MamaOctober 18th, 2009
Getting babies, toddlers, and even older children to sleep well while traveling can be a struggle. If your child doesn’t sleep well, then mama doesn’t sleep well. And we all know, if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!
I recently learned how to pack in restful vacations for the whole family during an interview with Davis Ehrler, post-partum doula and creator of the 3-Day Sleep Solution workbook and educational DVD. Her program teaches parents of kids ages newborn to eight years how to instill good childhood sleep habits through understanding children’s biological needs.
As the mother of three daughters, Davis knows how challenging it can be to get a good night’s rest while traveling with children. Here are her vacation sleep tips to help you on your next trip.
Be patient
According to Davis, it will take two to three nights for your child to adjust to the new surroundings and schedule while traveling. She says, “The first couple of nights you don’t sleep well on vacation. We adults might watch TV until we fall asleep or read longer than usual, even if we don’t do that at home. And some of us will even have a glass of wine or two.”
Davis advises, “Children are no different than we are. Parents expect too much from themselves and from children while traveling. Know that (children) need some time to adjust. Period.”
Squeeze in naps
If your child is still taking naps, Davis suggests returning to the hotel room to put your child down midday. When I asked what she thinks of using long car rides or stroller walks to induce vacation naps, Davis said although she insists on regular naps in the child’s crib or bed at home, “On vacation the naps may take place in strollers and in cars and at the beach. It’s sleep, but it’s junky sleep. But you have to do what you can to make (the naps) happen.”
Arrive before bedtime
According to Davis, reaching your destination before your child’s bedtime allows you to start off your vacation on the right foot. Getting a good first night of sleep is better than playing catch-up throughout your stay.
Recreate bedtime routines
Davis says, “You (might) blow their naps, but be sure get them to sleep at night.” To do that, you should stick to at-home bedtime rituals even while on vacation, such as reading stories, taking a bath, or singing lullabies.
Make it feel familiar
Davis suggests bringing along your own crib sheets so the new environment will feel like home. This is because babies and young children rely much more on their sense of smell than do older kids and adults.
Book more than one room or divide the room in two
Davis recommends booking more than one room while traveling with children. She says, “If you can, get a suite or condo. It will always make your vacation so much better.”
If you must bunk down with the kids, Davis recommends using a visual barrier by hanging a bed sheet so your children can’t see you. “If they can see you, they’re going to want mommy and daddy.”
Break some rules
You should follow strict guidelines for ensuring good sleep 80 percent of the time, according to Davis. She says, “Break the rules 20 percent of the time. Vacation should be your 20 percent.” She compared strict sleep habits to a strict diet while on vacation, saying, “No one wants to eat salad every night on vacation!”
Sleep Specialist Davis Ehler with her three daughters
Get back on track at home
Davis says, “Have a blast on vacation. Then, have the tools to get back on track when you get home.” She warns that it will take another two to three days for the family’s schedule to return to normal after the trip, just as it took a few days of adjustment at the start of the vacation. To do that, get back into a regular nap and bedtime routine right away. “Don’t bring your vacation habits home with you.”
Do you agree with Davis’s suggestions for getting children to sleep on vacation? Do you have any sleep tips you’d like to share? Please leave a comment below!
For more information on this topic see:
• Tips for Flying Standby & Handling Flight Delays with Kids
• Top 10 Travel Tips from Parents of Tots
• Travel Mamas Child-Friendly Accommodations
Tags: babies, children, davis ehrler, toddlers, travel sleep tips, vacation
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Exceptional, I passed this on to a friend of mine, and he actually bought me lunch because I found this for him, so let me rephrase: Thanks for lunch.
[...] topic, since the holiday season makes traffic even worse. From the CabinsForYou blog.Help your kids sleep while on vacation — A great little blog post by TravelMamas.com — interview with Davis Ehrler, author of [...]