This post is about 5 essential sleep tips for traveling with a baby. It contains affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase, I may make a small commission. Read more in my Privacy Policy.
Traveling with a baby can feel overwhelming. You might think it’s like packing for a small army. Let’s be honest, the biggest worry is often… SLEEP! Will they sleep? Will you sleep? Will anyone sleep?!
I’ve been there, and survived (mostly!) We traveled a lot when the kids were babies and toddlers. Today, I’m sharing my 5 essential sleep tips for traveling with baby.
Whether you’re jet-setting to a tropical paradise or simply visiting grandma, a little preparation goes a long way. So, let’s dive in!
Stick to the Routine (As Much As Possible!)
We all know babies thrive on routine. While completely replicating your home schedule is next to impossible, aiming for consistency is key. Try to maintain consistent nap and bedtime routines. They will shift slightly, but sticking as closely as possible will help.
When we traveled with the kids, we always went back to the hotel midday. We aimed to give them a nap at approximately the same time every day. This midday break not only kept the kids on their schedules, but gave us a chance to recharge as well. If you’ve ever traipsed around Disney World with four little kids, you know what I mean.
You’ve probably heard that sleep begets sleep. It’s true. By respecting our kids’ routines, they slept better at night, even in hotel rooms.
You may be familiar with the family who goes all day, without giving their babies and toddlers time to rest. You’ll recognize them because their kids are melting down at 5:00. The parents are melting down at 5:00. Nobody is having fun and it’s just a mess.
You can avoid this by allowing your kids to rest if they typically take a nap midday. Trust me on this. I have four kids and I very seldom had to navigate the 5:00 meltdown on vacation.
- Pro-tip: If you’re changing time zones, start adjusting your baby’s schedule a few days before your trip. Shift their wake-up, nap, and bedtime by 15-30 minutes each day to ease the transition.
Create a Familiar Sleep Environment
New places are exciting, but they can be overwhelming for little ones. Bringing familiar sleep items can help create a sense of comfort and security.
Pack their familiar sleep cues, like their favorite lovey, sound machine, or bedtime story. We always packed the kids’ favorite blankets, lovey, etc. We never let them leave the hotel. The worst day in your parenting life comes when your toddler loses her favorite lovey on a ride in Disney World.
To be clear, this did not happen to us. Why? Because the lovey never leaves the hotel. Trust me on this one. Read that again. The lovey never leaves the hotel (or Air BNB or wherever home base is).
Besides the comfort items, don’t forget to pack the other things that will help your baby sleep.
If your baby sleeps in a dark room, you’ll want to replicate that. While hotels have blackout curtains, Air BNBs may not.
My favorite workaround for a dark room is the Slumber Pod. It’s a great option for creating a dark area in a room. Others may share this space and not want to sit in darkness while the baby naps.
You can also pack a portable blackout shade. Hotel rooms and relatives’ guest rooms aren’t always ideal for sleep. Being able to darken the room can transform any space into a sleep-friendly environment.
Bring your child’s sound machine. White noise can mask unfamiliar sounds and create a soothing atmosphere. You can get a small, portable sound machine here.
Optimize Travel Time for Sleep
Consider your baby’s natural sleep patterns when planning your travel. If your baby typically naps well in the car, try to schedule long drives during nap times. If you’re flying, consider a red-eye flight if your baby tends to sleep well at night.
If you’re traveling by car, ensure their car seat is comfortable and secure. Pack their favorite toys and snacks to keep them entertained when they’re awake.
If you are traveling by plane, try to plan a feeding during takeoff and landing to help with ear pressure. A pacifier is helpful, too. Bring plenty of distractions and be prepared to walk the aisles if needed.
Understandably, people fly with their babies on their laps. I always bought a seat and took a car seat (or two) on the plane. I always felt it was safest in turbulence and it allowed my baby to nap on the plane safely. I highly recommend this if you can.
Be Flexible and Patient
Travel can disrupt even the most consistent sleep routines. Expect some bumps in the road and try to be flexible. If your baby’s nap is shorter than usual, or bedtime is a little later, don’t stress.
You might be off your routine. Following your baby’s sleepy cues can help. They can help you realize when the baby needs to sleep. You can learn more about understanding your baby’s sleepy cues HERE.
Sleep regressions can happen anytime, and travel can exacerbate them. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that it’s temporary. Sometimes, you just can’t stick to the routine and that’s ok. Focus on getting back on track the next day.
Prioritize Your Own Sleep (When Possible!)
Traveling with a baby is exhausting! Don’t forget to take care of yourself. If you’re traveling with a partner, take turns with nighttime wake-ups. If you’re traveling solo, don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends if they’re available.
Even small pockets of rest can make a big difference. If your baby is napping, take a moment to relax, read a book, or even take a quick nap yourself. When we’d go back to our hotel to nap the babies, I always took a nap myself. It’s a luxury I didn’t have at home.
On vacation, there is likely not laundry to fold, dinner to prep, or dishes to wash. So if your baby is napping, you should grab a snooze, too! You’ll be glad you did.
Traveling with a baby doesn’t have to be a sleep disaster. Keep these 5 essential sleep tips for traveling with a baby in mind when you’re planning a trip.
With a little planning and flexibility, you can help your little one (and yourself!) get the rest you need. Remember, every baby is different, so find what works best for you and your family.
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Motherhood is a journey akin to a tempestuous sea, with its ebbs and flows of sleepless nights, tiny hands that leave imprints on our hearts, and laughter that dances like sunlight on water. Yet, amidst this beautiful chaos, we may find ourselves adrift, like a ship in search of its lost compass.
I came at motherhood with purpose and with every fiber of my being. Like other life-altering circumstances, some of which were way beyond my control, there was little deliberating and a lot of accepted challenges.
My first job after college was teaching in an inner-city district, fraught with obstacles. I loved that job and stayed there for over a decade. My roles changed during those years, but I learned and grew professionally.
It was in that job that I learned to blend toughness and softness and know when to use both. That job was a daily testament to the saying, “the best laid plans…” I credit my time spent there with shaping the kind of mother I didn’t know I’d become.
The choice to enter motherhood and have four kids in four and a half years was one I made consciously and deliberately. But stepping into motherhood is like embarking on a voyage to an uncharted land, guided only by the stars of anticipation and a heart brimming with hope.
Balancing the mental load of motherhood is a whirlwind adventure, filled with sleepless nights, sticky fingers, and heartwarming giggles. It’s easy to feel like you’ve misplaced a piece of your old self along the way. Motherhood can sometimes send you on a scavenger hunt for your pre-mom identity.
Like a puzzle missing a piece, we moms often unknowingly lose fragments of our identity, unconsciously giving them to our little ones as we nurture and guide them through life. Here are some of those fragments.
Your Wardrobe Has Changed
Remember your stylish pre-mom outfits? Yeah, I don’t either. Our pre-mom selves, resplendent in vibrant hues and daring patterns, now rest in the shadows of closets, eclipsed by a sea of soft, forgiving fabrics.
I embrace athleisure. Yoga pants are great when you’re running after toddlers and hopping in and out of the car to drive kids around. Now that my kids are older, I’m grateful for comfortable clothes that stretch and move better than I do.
Admittedly, I’m still holding on to some of my younger self favorites. Let’s be honest, they’re not even in style anymore, but purging them seems like a betrayal of my former self, so I’m holding on a while longer.
Multi-Tasking Is Your Life
Once, we balanced dreams on the delicate threads of our fingertips. Now, we weave tapestries of love, simultaneously tending to a chorus of needs. My tapestry is held together by play dough, glue sticks and probably some dried snot.
As moms, we tend to put ourselves last.
Who has time to think of themselves while answering a toddler’s million questions while simultaneously nursing a baby, signing for a package, and flipping pancakes? I’m pretty sure the mail carrier or UPS driver has seen my boob. Balancing the mental load of motherhood with the physical demands of the job make it easy to put our needs last.
As the kids got older and their schedules dominated the evening hours, it got harder to find a piece of myself in the avalanche of a typical day. Returning to full-time work left crumbs of time to reconnect with the old me. Before kids, I read all the time. I traveled. I had great clothes!
Once I became a mom, none of that mattered. My kids are so close in age that there was no time to check in with me before the next baby joined the family. The Chaos Kingdom needs my full attention. The surrender to total selflessness is beautiful and complicated.
Our identity, once defined by individual pursuits and ambitions, now finds its essence in the seamless blend of nurturing and managing. We become shape-shifters, seamlessly transitioning from caregiver to problem solver, from chef to storyteller. While our roles multiply, our sense of self deepens, each task a brushstroke adding to the masterpiece that is motherhood. And in this intricate dance of giving and managing, we find a new facet of our identity, one that is resilient, resourceful, and radiantly alive.
Embrace the chaos. It’s all part of the symphony of motherhood. Each note is a testament to the strength and grace that resides within you. Feel the harmony, for in the cacophony lies a melody uniquely yours. That melody will sing in your heart and the hearts of the family you nurture forever.
We Talk About Our Kids a Lot
We need to connect with other moms to share our joys and miseries, and to help us balance the mental load of motherhood.
It’s hard to find things to talk about with friends that don’t center around your collective mob of tiny humans. Mundane chatter about blowout diapers, potty training, and sports practice replaces former conversations about art, books, current events, and ideas.
I left my career behind when I had Kissy. Nugget, Starlie and Salt arrived in rapid succession after their sister. Art in my world was finger painting, scribbles on walls, and the day Kissy spray painted the dog pink and green. Goodnight Moon, and later the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series were the books being talked about in the Chaos Kingdom. And current events were replaced by school events and extracurricular schedules.
Diving into discussions beyond the realm of baby babble is like discovering a hidden treasure chest in the depths of a bustling marketplace. These conversations are like a rare, exquisite note that stands out in a chorus of lullabies and nursery rhymes. In the Chaos Kingdom, sometimes that chorus is more akin to a heavy metal band, depending on the day.
Nonetheless, they are the secret passages that lead us back to the rich tapestry of our own interests, dreams, and desires, and remind us that we are more than just mothers – we are vibrant, multifaceted women with stories and passions waiting to be shared. Discussions like these connect us to our former selves and remind us how complex and rich we are.
The Pursuit of “Me Time”
Time seems to slip through our fingers like grains of sand. Yet, it is within these moments, however brief, that we can mend the frayed edges of our souls.
Whether you work outside the home, or you’re a stay-at-home mom, finding time for self-care is like finding a lost pacifier in a ball pit at the indoor play place. Being home with my kids was like dancing through a field of wildflowers. Each moment is filled with the beauty of fulfillment and wonder. But the dance is relentless and exhausting. It left me both invigorated and satisfied, but yearning for a moment’s rest.
Managing four kids, a home, and a full-time job really is like herding kittens. Like a lot of moms, after the kids went to bed, I’d stay up way past late just trying to soak in the silence and the solitude, stealing a few moments to balance the mental load of motherhood with my own needs.
On an airplane, we’re always instructed to put our air masks on before helping others. That’s good advice I wish I’d taken. It’s ok to leave the kids with dad for a while. They’ll probably eat cookies for breakfast and not brush their teeth, but it’s ok. Once in a while.
Coming Soon: You 2.0
Through the chaos and the cuddles, we find a version of ourselves that is both familiar and transformed, a woman who can conquer any task with grace and humor. Multitasking moms are the unsung heroes of everyday magic, whose superpowers lie in the ability to balance it all while still being true to themselves. Keep shining, keep juggling, and keep embracing the beautiful complexity that is motherhood.
As I balance the mental load of motherhood, I find myself in a chapter where the demands of little hands have gradually eased, allowing space for new adventures. The echoes of laughter and bedtime stories have made room for quiet moments of introspection and rediscovery. Now, as my children step forward into their own paths, I have the chance to revisit old friendships, their roots intertwined with memories of shared joys and trials. It’s like tending to a garden that has patiently waited for its caretaker’s return, each bloom a testament to the enduring power of connection.
I find solace in the pages of books, each word a stepping stone towards new worlds and insights. The thrill of learning, once reserved for helping with homework, now expands into uncharted territories, broadening my horizons.
My nest isn’t empty yet. Inevitably, it will be. The long days with babies and toddlers have turned into years speeding by like a bullet train now that my own four children are teens and young adults. The next chapter is coming and I can’t slow down time.
Balancing the mental load of motherhood
Amidst all these newfound pursuits, one truth remains unwavering: I will forever be a mom. It is the heartbeat that guides me, the wellspring of love that fuels my every endeavor. So, I step forward with gratitude for the past, a sense of purpose in the present, and excitement for the adventures that await. As the story continues to unfold, I find comfort in the knowledge that no matter where life leads, I will always be a mom first.
This post is a guide for new parents about how to identify a baby's sleepy cues. It includes yawning, rubbing eyes, pulling ears, crying and jerking movements. This post includes suggestions of what to do when your baby is sleepy.
Unlock the secrets to better sleep for both you and your baby by mastering the art of recognizing their sleepy cues. From subtle signs like yawning and rubbing eyes to more evident behaviors such as fussiness and comfort-seeking movements, understanding what your baby is communicating can profoundly impact their rest. This insightful guide reveals how to interpret these cues and offers practical strategies to create a serene sleeping environment, establish a soothing bedtime routine, and ensure your baby drifts off peacefully. Don't let exhaustion take over your parenting joy; dive into this essential resource to help your little one—and yourself—achieve restful nights and refreshing days. Discover the power of timely responses and see how sensitivity to your baby's needs can transform sleep challenges into restful victories.
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