Five Sleep Tips for Travelling with Toddlers

5 Sleep Tips for Traveling with Toddlers

By Sally J. Hall

Want to know our top five sleep tips for travelling with toddlers? Here is some great advice for good toddler sleep

Getting littles ones to sleep on nights away from home can be a challenge. With different sleeping environments, being constantly on the move and perhaps being in a hotter climate, it can turn your child’s night-time routine into a bit of a nightmare.

So how do you cope? Here are our tips for helping your toddler sleep on holiday.

One. Maintain the same bedtime routine as you do at home, so your child knows it is time for sleep. A good routine could include having a bath or shower, a bedtime story, cuddles and lights off will  and this will help make them feel they are at home, which will comfort them and help them on their way to a good night’s sleep.

Two. Take a few familiar things from home to help settle your child in the unfamiliar sleeping environment such as teddies, blankets, a small pillow – you will also want these if you are travelling long haul as the flight can sometimes be the hardest part of travel, and if you are without toys to entertain it could cause them to become restless.

Three. If there is a change in time zone, think how you will manage this. If only a few days, you might want to keep your child on the same time as back home. For longer periods, adjusting to the time zone will take a few days but you can start adjusting a few days before you leave by putting your child to bed and waking them up 15 minutes early/ later (depending on the time zone) each day until you depart.

Four. To help with adjusting to time zones, set meal times fixed around the new time zone rather than having irregular eating patterns. This will also help with your child’s digestive system as having unbalanced eating patterns can cause them to feel sluggish or slightly unwell, so its best to try and adjust as soon as possible.

Five. In addition, get your child out in the natural daylight for at least an hour in the morning to help the brain adjust to the new day/ night cycle. And remember, it is normal for your child’s sleep to be unsettled with changes of environment and changes in time zones, so allow them time to adjust. You can also try adding a comfortable, natural mattress topper to your child’s travel cot that’s filled with a fibre such as temperature-regulating organic lambswool with a cotton cover.

For more baby and toddler sleep tips, read further:

Setting a good sleep routine for babies

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