As a newborn photographer, I know how important it is to create a calm and peaceful environment for your baby, especially when it comes to sleep. If you’ve ever wondered how to travel with kids without the stress and sleepless nights, you’re in the right place. Whether it’s keeping your toddler well-rested on vacation or finding practical toddler travel sleep solutions, this post is packed with expert tips from Dr. Kelsey Alford, DNP, CPNP-PC, a Northern Virginia sleep consultant and owner of Nested Sleep, to make your travels smoother and more enjoyable.
Traveling with kids doesn’t have to mean sacrificing sleep, and with a little planning, your family can have a restful and memorable trip. Let’s dive in and discover how to make your next adventure stress-free!
Table of Contents
No matter how much work it is to prepare for a trip with kids and how much effort it may be along the way, I really hope you do it. Not only is travel good for you, but for your growing little ones as well. Even if they won’t remember it, you will! For years to come, you will tell them the stories of the smiles on their faces the first time they licked that Italian gelato or jumped in the waves on Cape Cod.
As a sleep expert and travel buff here are some of my top ways how to travel with kids and to sleep well during summer travel! Whether you’re looking for toddler travel sleep solutions or you need practical tips for a smooth vacation, I’ve got you covered.
Staying safe in cars
Car travel is crazy this year (over 60 million people traveled by car over 4th of July), and I would be rich if I could bottle up that car movement that puts most babies to sleep! That being said, you want to make sure that car seat safety is as important as safe sleep inside the house. Make sure you don’t use any inserts that didn’t come with the car seat. And most importantly, once you arrive at your destination, transfer your baby to a firm, flat sleeping surface.
Jetlag
No escaping jet lag completely for most people, especially when going west to east coast.
- Similar to daylight savings time it can help a lot to slowly adjust the family a few days prior to the trip if you are going far. For example if you are going West to East, you can prepare your family by trying to wake them up a little earlier in the morning and get to bed a little earlier in the evening a few days before flying out.
- If you like packing at the last minute then adjusting before a trip is probably not the best option for you 🙂 In that case, then your best bet is to try to get outside in the sunlight whenever possible after you land. Daylight is a powerful stimulant for regulating the biological clock. (Staying indoors worsens jet lag.) So find those local playgrounds, beaches, or places to go for a walk!
- Keep mealtimes during the DAY! When we eat significantly affects our circadian rhythm so make sure you are giving your child meals during your new destination’s meal times and not in the middle of the night or at 5 am.
- Generally, it takes about 1 hour per day to adjust, so for a 3 hour time difference, it will take your little one’s body about 3 days to get on a new schedule. The important thing is to recognize their cues for tiredness and try to go with the flow a bit more than normal. They likely will nap on the go a little more, but I can assure you as a professional Northern Virginia sleep consultant that is completely ok.
Sleep spaces at your destination
Whether you are staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s house or at an Airbnb it is important to think ahead for baby and young kid’s sleep. Make sure to bring a few familiar things from home (blankie, lovie, pacifier, and portable sound machine). My favorite travel options depend on the baby or child’s age and how the room is divided up (see below).
- If you have a baby or toddler still in a pack n’ play AND you are room sharing then my favorite is the SlumberPod. The SlumberPod is a quick-assembly blackout privacy pod that helps babies/toddlers get a good night’s sleep by keeping light out and offering their own sleep space. The SlumberPod is a bottomless design to enclose travel crib, mini-crib or select toddler cots (see the full list on SlumberPod). I love SlumberPod so much with our family that I’m also an affiliate and if you use my code NESTED$20 you’ll get a big discount off your order.
- In addition to the SlumberPod, if you need something for older children, or even yourself, on the go to put on the windows if the room is not dark enough, I love these portable blackout shades. This is one of the best toddler travel sleep solutions you can use for the whole family.
Follow the 80/20 Rule
When you are doing fun summer activities such as seeing the fireworks or heading to the beach try to remember the 80/20 rule! Basically it means stick to your schedule 80% of the time, but 20% of the time you can shift things around. So no, you don’t have to be on schedule all day everyday, but when you have a routine and schedule then you can always lean back into this down the road when the festivities and vacations are over.
How to get your baby back on a schedule when coming home
Typically later bedtimes can mean more fragmented or broken up sleep and sometimes early morning awakenings, have no fear though! After your vacation or holiday you CAN get back onto a routine. Often this is a good time to re-explore what normal sleep looks like for your child, if you aren’t sure check out my schedule guide here!
Getting back on track can sometimes be as easy as putting your baby or child to sleep at their typical schedule. Other times they are overtired, jet-lagged, or used to sharing a room with parents for a week or more! When these things are at play then a reset is needed. Since this happens to my clients too I created a post travel reset guide to get your kiddo back on track. It has all the tips you need for how to get back to smooth bedtimes and later mornings with your baby or child!
Planes, Trains, and Overtired Toddlers: Surviving Travel Without Losing Sleep by Dr. Kelsey Alford, DNP, CPNP-PC, Northern Virginia sleep consultant and Owner of Nested Sleep
If you’re wondering how to travel with kids without losing your sanity or toddler travel sleep solutions, this post is a great place to start. Hope you have a lovely summer with your family and don’t forget we can always chat on a free discovery call if you need more support finding rest this season!
Dr. Kelsey Alford is a pediatric nurse practitioner, sleep consultant to babies and children ages 0-18 years, certified positive discipline parent educator, and founder of Nested Sleep.
She has over 19 years of experience working in the field of pediatrics. She is married and a mom to two kids ages 7 and 9. Her mission is to ensure families don’t have to walk the world of parenthood alone and get the support they need to have happy, healthy, and well-rested kiddos. She lives in the Northern Virginia area and works with families virtually around the world. Follow her on Instagram here! She can also be reached at Kelsey@nestedsleep.com or (206) 588-6304.
