Traveling in itself can be stressful. Travel with kids though, can become a whole lot of work. Here we are sharing some tips for traveling with kids, especially around their sleep.
Navigating Changes with Time Zones
If you are planning to travel with kids across time zones, you may worry about your family’s sleep becoming a mess. This doesn’t have to be the case and there are some things you can do to make it easier.
If it is going to be a short trip, a week or less, then it may not make sense to change anything. It can take our bodies a few days to adjust to a time difference, so it could be difficult for everyone if you are trying to quickly adjust to a time change while traveling and then having to adjust back once home.
You also may not want to make changes if it is a small difference like an hour or two. One option if there is a small time difference is that you could do your usual schedule, but based on the new time. For example, if dinner is usually at 5 and bedtime is at 7 and there’s an hour difference, then dinner could be at 6 and bedtime at 8 while you are traveling.
If you are traveling for more than a week, or it’s going to be a bigger time difference, then you may want to prepare ahead of time.
This is similar to what I suggest for Daylight Saving Time. In the days leading up to your trip, you can gradually shift your schedule back or forward by 20 minutes or so each day so that you are working towards aligning the schedule closer to the time zone of where you will be traveling. When you are making these adjustments, you would want to shift everything from wake up times, nap times, meals, and bedtimes.
Other Tips to help with time changes and travel with kids in general
When you have arrived at your travel destination, get outside when possible so you are getting exposed to the natural daylight. Light plays a big role with regulating your circadian rhythm and can help your body adjust to the change in time.
Bring any comfort items from home
If your toddler sleeps with a stuffed animal or a special blanket, you’ll want to bring it with you on your trip. This is the same if your baby is used to a specific sleep sack. Anything you have at home that provides comfort can be helpful to bring while you are traveling.
Try to keep your bedtime routine as similar as you can
Bedtime routines are helpful in preparing our children for sleep. If you have certain books you always read before bed, consider bringing those along. The routine may look a little different, being in a new environment, but having it be similar to what it is at home will be comforting to your child.
Recreate the sleep environment from home
Of course when we are traveling, the sleep environment is going to be different but looking at the things that help your child sleep and then trying to recreate those wherever you are can be helpful.
If your child is used to sleeping with a sound machine, you could bring your sound machine with you, purchase a travel sound machine, or even use a white noise app that you can download on your phone.
If your child is used to sleeping in a dark space, there are lots of options to make it dark when you are traveling. There are portable black out shades you could invest in. The SlumberPod is another great option. If you use our code Delightful$20 you can take $20 off your purchase of the original SlumberPod, SlumberPod and fan combo, or SlumberPod and homebase combo. The SlumberPod is also helpful if you are room sharing while traveling, as it creates a separate sleep space for your child. However, you don’t have to buy anything and you can use materials you probably already have at home including black trash bags, tinfoil, and pieces of cardboard to cover up the windows and create a dark environment.
If your child sleeps in a crib at home, you may want to bring along a pack and play for your trip. Many hotels and Air BnBs have family friendly options and will have a crib or pack and play available as well. For toddlers, travel cots can be helpful to have if there aren’t extra beds. We have this cot for sleepovers with the grandparents and it has come in handy.
Think about the timing of your travel
Many families find it helpful to plan flights around naptime, with the goal that your child will sleep while on the airplane. If you are embarking on a long drive, it can also be helpful to leave at either a nap or bedtime if your child sleeps well in the car, so that your child can sleep for part of the ride. If your child won’t typically fall asleep in the car, then it may make more sense to leave right when they have woken up.
Pack extra snacks!
If your child isn’t sleeping while traveling, chances are they will be hungry! I find it helpful to bring a few different prepackaged options while traveling. Of course, avoid foods that are choking hazards and if you are driving, pulling over for snack breaks. While you are on vacation, if your family is extra active during the day, you may find your child looking for a bedtime snack, so this can be something to think about and plan for. Also, bringing along everyone’s favorite water cups can be helpful to avoid dehydration while traveling. If you are flying, remember to have it empty when you go through security and then you can fill it up after.
Order ahead
If you are traveling somewhere where it’s possible to do this, it can be helpful to order things ahead of time to be delivered to your travel destination. We ordered diapers, wipes, formula, sunscreen, and some snacks to be delivered at our friend’s house so that we didn’t have to worry about packing all of those things.
Make a list
When you are packing for travel with a family, there are so many things to remember that it is easy to forget something. I definitely suggest making a list of everything you need to bring and checking it off as you go. I like to sort my list by family member, that helps me make sure I remember specific items each person needs.
Plan ahead
If possible, make your list and start packing ahead of time rather than waiting until the night before or the day of travel. (I’m adding this tip as I just finished packing at 8:30 pm when we have to leave our house at 6:15 am tomorrow and I can only find one of my daughter’s favorite shoes!)
Be Patient
If you are changing time zones, remember that it can take a few days to fully adjust to a new time zone. Even without changing time zones, it can still take time to adjust to sleeping in a new place.. Know that your family’s sleep may be a little off, and this is normal. If you are able to work some extra down time into the schedule for the first couple days of your trip, that can be helpful.
Remember the 80/20 Rule
In general, I always keep the 80/20 rule in mind when it comes to sleep, and this is expecially true when it comes to travel with kids. This means that 80% of the time we are sticking to schedules and routines and 20% of the time it’s okay to let things be more flexible. Life happens, and that includes travel and vacations. Just because you have a child, that doesn’t mean you need to be homebound for years.
It is okay if sleep was different while you were traveling!
Once you get home, you can start getting everyone’s sleep back on track! If habits were changed while sleeping, I would suggest going right back to old habits when home. Many children can understand that things are different in different settings, and that is true for sleep as well.
The most important tip for traveling with kids is to have fun and make memories!
It may be a lot of work to travel with kids and it may not always be easy, but it is usually worth it! If you have any other tips around travel with kids, please add them in the comments and share this post with someone you know who will be traveling soon!
