Travelling with a baby can be tough. Travelling with time changes and a baby can be extra tough…and don’t let that stop you! Exploring the world is an incredible experience and if you have the opportunity to share this beautiful experience with your children, I would encourage it! 

As a mom of 2 and Baby Sleep Consultant, here are my top travel with time change sleep tips! If you’re wondering what to pack for baby sleep when travelling, check out my freebie resource here! One less thing to think about!

If you’re looking just for travel sleep tips, check out this blog. 

What you’ll learn from this blog:

• What to do with baby’s sleep for a short trip 
• How to navigate time change and baby’s sleep
• Tips to navigate travel, time change and sleep
• How to get sleep back on track once home

What to do with baby’s sleep for a short trip

If you’re only going to be away in a different time zone for a few days (e.g., a weekend away), you can decide if adjusting their sleep schedule is even worth it. If you’re only gone for a few days, then if possible, you may consider staying on your regular time schedule. Given it can take a few days for a baby to adjust to a new time schedule, if you are going to be traveling back to ‘home’ time sooner, it may not make sense to adjust the sleep schedule. 

If you’re travelling across a time zone for longer than a few days, keep reading. 

How to navigate time change, travel and baby sleep

Prepare for sleep changes in advance of travel

For some families, they may choose to prepare for the time change by adjusting their baby’s sleep schedule by 15-30 minutes every few days leading up to the departure day. This isn’t a necessary step but some families like to feel extra prepared leading up to a big trip. By shifting their sleep times (and meal times) slowly in the direction you need them to go (forward or backward), you’re allowing their body the opportunity to adjust to the new schedule in advance.

Adjusting baby’s sleep to time zone after travel

If you choose to adjust baby’s sleep once you arrive at your destination, you’ll want to adjust baby’s sleep and meal schedules to the new time zone as quickly as possible. This means if your baby usually naps at 12:30pm at home, then you’re offering that nap at *around* 12:30pm for the new time zone (or as close as possible). For some babies, this may mean they’re a bit overtired throughout this process but after a few days, they will adjust – often times faster than you! 

Depending on direction of travel, you may need to offer your baby a mini cat nap to make it to bedtime. This would be a great opportunity for an on-the-go nap since sleep pressure may be higher and you don’t need them to take a long nap, just a bit of a snooze to bridge them to bedtime. It’s ok to wake your sleeping baby to support adjustment to a new schedule. They may need your calm guidance to get through this change. 

During travel baby sleep, there are a few tips to help get you through – keep reading.

Tips to navigate travel, time change and baby sleep

Below are 5 tips to help your family navigate baby sleep and a time zone change

1. Morning Sunshine and Wake up –  Plan to wake-up (and wake baby up) in the morning for your destination time zone. Once awake, aim to get sunlight and fresh air early in the day (sooner in the morning the better), to signal to the body it’s awake time. These strategies will help regulate the circadian rhythm to the new time zone. I’ve discovered an app called ‘Timeshifter’ that you can use to plug in different variables related to your trip and it will signal to you when you should be seeking light and when you shouldn’t in order to adjust to a new time zone. 
2. Routines – As much as possible, stick to your familiar bedtime routine from home which will provide your baby with familiarity and predictability that sleep is coming. If screens are involved during travel time, consider limiting them 30-60 minutes before bedtime. If your baby is on more than one nap, prepare to cap their naps around 90-120 minutes to ensure there is still adequate awake time during the day for eating, adventuring and to ensure their body is building sleep pressure to sustain them for night sleep on the new time. 
3. Expect hiccups – Sleep in novel environments is not perfect. Time change can throw everyone’s body for a loop so you may have extra night wakings since their body may be signalling to them it’s awake time. Keep engagement boring. Support them back to sleep once you begin to see the tiredness set in again. It will be hard, but refer back to tip 1 to wake them up in the morning to help their internal clock regulate. Naps may be shorter when on-the-go and may be harder to start off. This is all normal. Try your best to get some daytime sleep in to help them through the day. 
4. Sleep Environment – Where possible, try to create darkness for their sleep environment. This will not only help their body settle for sleep but also reduce distractions in the novel environment. A SlumberPod can be a great tool for travel sleep as it creates a blackout enclosure with space for a fan, sound machine and monitor. You can see details here and use code LITTLESLEEPSPACE to save on your purchase. During a night waking, when they are trying to adjust, keep lights dim and engagement boring. 
5. Physical Activity – Allow your little one opportunities to move and explore. Yes, there will be times they need to be contained in a stroller or carrier and it’s also important they have outlets to get energy out and stretch their bodies. If a non-mobile baby, consider bringing their favourite blanket for some tummy time on the beach or at a park. Stretch out and enjoy a few quiet moments for everyone. If a mobile baby, prepare to pack your comfiest shoes so you can chase them around the hotel lobby and playground. Activity will help your baby sleep better. 

How to get sleep back on track once home

If you’ve travelled across time zones and sleep was non-existent, sometimes this means you’ve resorted to strategies to get you through the tough moments that you’re no longer able to maintain. This is normal and not anything to panic about. Once you’re home, your baby (and your body) will need a few days to settle back into the current time zone. You can use the above mentioned tips to help you get sleep back on track. 

Best advice I can give is to get back to basics. Be consistent on the bedtime routine. Get back to crib naps at home for a few days and try to hold off on stroller naps until things have improved. Support your baby’s sleep in a way that feels best for you. Stay consistent and you will get back on track. 

 

The ultimate goal of vacation is for everyone to have fun – this may mean going with the flow for sleep or it may mean sticking to your usual sleep schedules. Whatever you decide to do, know you have choices and options to get back on track once your trip is over. Back to reality, back to sleep. 

 

Bon voyage!

Chelsea 

Chelsea is Mom of 2 young kids and a Certified Baby Sleep Consultant supporting families within Hamilton and beyond. She has a Masters of Professional Education and over 10 years of professional experience supporting families in the community. She works collaboratively with families to empower them with the confidence and tools they need to reach their unique sleep goals. Hear from other rested families here and book a free call with Chelsea here to discuss how she can support your family’s journey to more sleep.