9 Tips to Help your Babies Sleep on Vacation

This post was sponsored by my amazing friends over at Regalo Baby. As always, all opinions are mine, thanks for supporting the brands that make my blog possible!!

I told you a lot about what we did during the day on our first Florida trip a month ago, but one thing I did NOT tell you was about some of our ‘exciting’ nights sharing a room with a baby and a toddler. During our trip we stayed at three different hotels. One of them didn’t have a baby bed for Zander. He ended up sleeping in makeshift bed I made for him on the floor, since he can’t sleep with us. He speed crawls towards the edge of the bed as soon as we fall asleep. True story. In another hotel they didn’t have a bed for Zoey. She tried sleeping on the arm chair, but ended up in bed with us. Daddy is her favorite, so sleeping in bed with us means her head goes on his pillow…. and her feet go on mine. The last hotel room was very tiny and with Zander right next to us he kept waking up, it was a lot of restless nights.

Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE to travel, but the people who know me really well also know I am a sleep scheduling fanatic. My babies respond very well to routines and when we stick to them everyone in the family is more happy. Sometimes sleep schedules and travel just don’t go hand in hand. Travel often interrupts toddler and baby sleep patterns. But after a few nightmare nights and some LOOOONG plane rides, I decided I needed to master the art of helping your toddler and baby sleep while traveling. I came up with some super helpful techniques, routines and even some amazing products like this super portable toddler bed, to help make traveling with a baby & toddler so much more convenient. I used these tips on our last Florida trip and this weekend when we had a mini getaway to a fancy hotel near our home (more about that later…). We definitely haven’t mastered the art of helping our babies sleep while we are traveling yet, but these tips really made a huge difference. So if you have an upcoming trip with a toddler or a baby, read on. A little preparation in the sleep department can make your whole vacation so much better!

At your vacation destination

1. Stick to regular nap times.

As much as possible, don’t change your nap schedule. Try and return to the hotel for regular nap times. It will make your vacation better and your transition back home after vacation easier too. You may feel like you are shortchanging yourself on precious vacation time, but in reality you will enjoy family outings much more if your kids are happy and well rested. Vacations are more about the quality of the time than the quantity. In fact if you find yourself trapzing all over New York with a super cranky toddler, you might start wishing you had less vacation time – not more😂. If you can’t return to your hotel for naps then do something stroller friendly so your babies can fall asleep in their strollers. I love a good reclining stroller, like this one, it basically turns into a bassinet!

2. Figure out the bedding situation in advance.

Wherever your destination may be, make sure you have a comfortable sleeping space for everyone. Most hotels can provide a baby bed, but they don’t have toddler beds. We got a Regalo toddler cot after our first Florida trip and now we bring it with us everywhere. This cot is compact and only takes a few seconds to set up. It is quite comfortable for Zoey to sleep on and fits in small spaces. It can even fit inside a suitcase when folded! Zoey LOVES her little bed and sleeps on it at home too whenever I let her.

3. Keep to your regular bedtime routine

Don’t change the bedtime routine! Every night we do pjs, brush teeth, cuddles, prayers and bed for Zoey. For Zander it is one last nursing, a little play time, prayers and then I lay him on his side with a soft blanket and his soother (we use this one since it prevents chapped lips that Zander is prone to). When we travel we stick to these same bedtime routines as much as possible. It gives the comfort of home even though we are away.

4. Practice & Discussion

You can’t really do this with a baby, but with a toddler you can practice for sleeping while traveling. A few days before we headed out on this particular vacation I set up Zoey’s toddler cot in her bedroom and let her sleep on it for a few nights. I talked to her about how the whole was going to share the same room on our vacation and it would be like a big fun sleepover party, and told her that she even got her own special bed (the toddler cot). Practice and positive pep talks can really help a toddler sleep while traveling.

5. Return to your regular schedule as soon as you get home!

Returning to your normal sleep routine once you get home can really help with a smooth transition from vacation to daily life. It is tempting after a day (or night!!) of traveling to let sleep patterns slip and ‘go with the flow’. But the more out of habit your baby gets from their normal routine, the harder it will be to readjust to regular sleep patterns.

Sleeping on Plane Rides & Roadtrips

1. If possible avoid flying during nap or bedtime

This obviously isn’t always possible, but it is ideal. Babies can nap on planes, but since you are confined to a small space, it can be difficult to coax a cranky baby or toddler to sleep. Naps in transit are never as restful either, so even if your baby sleeps they may wake cranky. If at all possible, plan for a nap before the flight. That way you are traveling with a happy, well rested child.

2. If you have to fly during nap or bedtime…

Make sure to pack familiar sleep comfort items, like a blanket, binky, etc. I have heard a lot of moms recommend baby wearing to help your baby sleep on a long flight. My babes have never loved wraps, but if your baby does this would probably be a great option. Although I have never tried it myself, I have heard great things about the Moby wrap. I haven’t heard much about boba wraps – but they look the same as Moby to me and are a little more budget friendly baby wearing option.

3. Start a car ride right before naps

Make sure your kids have played and eaten (and gone to the bathroom!!) right before getting in the car. Put on some relaxing music and let the noise and movement of the car rock your babies to sleep. Car rides right during nap time are the most peaceful rides we have. If you are really ambitious try leaving a few hours before your kids normally wake up in the morning. Pack the car and move your sleeping babes in to their seats right before you are ready to drive away. Less traffic and peaceful kid make traveling with a toddler easier. My parents always did this. I have so many memories of my dad carrying me out to the car at 4am before a long day of driving to visit far away family. My siblings and I would wake up with half the trip already over!

4. Dress your kids in pjs

Sleeping while traveling is less than comfortable, so if you want to help your kids sleep while they travel, do as much as you can to make them cozy and comfy. Traveling in pjs on a road trip or a plane ride can help your children sleep better in transit. There aren’t many times in your life that you can get away with wearing footie pajama’s in public. So might as well do it well you can, right?!

I have always loved traveling and becoming a parent has definitely made it so travel takes a lot more planning. But I don’t think the inconvenience ever warrants putting vacations and travel on hold. If you take a little extra time to plan and prepare before a vacation you can enjoy amazing adventures with your little people. And just think of the fun memories you are creating for them… The trips my parents took me and my siblings on are some of the best memories I have. There are EIGHT of us kids, so family vacations were no easy feat!

Do your kids have a hard time sleeping while you travel and vacation? What helps them?

Keep scrolling for more pictures or…

My Top: Pink Dessert | Zoey’s Pj’s: Carters | Zander’s PJ’s: First Impressions | Toddler Cot: Regalo Baby | Travel Highchair: Regalo Baby