As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen
Winnie the Pooh
I hope that if there is one take away from this post it is that you will make the trip. 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 still 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 their toes touched the ocean. Or when they first ate Thai food, actually in Thailand!
Even some of my close friends may not know that I actually didn’t start out majoring in nursing, but rather in travel and tourism. This girl over here loves to travel! My husband does too and actually we traveled all around the US and world while we dated long distance for 2 years. So it’s no surprise that our kids have a lot of flights under their belts already.
As a sleep expert and travel buff here are some of my top ways to sleep well over holiday travel!
- Planes, trains, and automobiles– when it comes to all forms of transportation and sleep we know that we are taking our little ones out of there normal sleep element. For kids less than about 8 months they often will sleep easily in a soft structured carrier, your arms, or their car seat. For babes less than 6 months or so I recommend also bringing a boppy pillow on the plane or in my experience a regular adult travel neck pillow , used like a boppy pillow would, is more portable and very helpful both for breastfeeding and making sure your baby stays asleep, but your arm does not!
- 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 slowing adjust the family a few days prior to the trip. If you like packing the last minute then that 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. 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. 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 that is completely ok.
- Sleep spaces at your destination– Whether you are staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s house or at a resort 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 maybe portable sound machine). I also highly recommend staying at an airbnb over a hotel so baby or child can have their own space or nook of the room that is dark. If it isn’t dark no worries! I recently tried out these portable blackout shades that are really amazing and make a room pitch black (see full discussion in Instagram stories). You can amazon prime right to your location, easy peasy!
Join me on Instagram this week as I do a Q&A on holiday travel and sleep to get you prepared for your Thanksgiving travel!
