How to get good sleep on vacation
Ok before I dive into the good stuff let’s talk expectations. Repeat after me: my child is not a robot. My child is not a robot. My child is not a robot.
Some little ones are born easy transition-ers from one environment to the next and others…. Eh not so much.
This is coming from an “expert” who has all the answers and yet still struggled to get her kid to sleep well in different places other than home. She was just born that way what I can tell you.
So even though personality can play a role in how easily (or not so easily) your little one is able to settle in new environments, there’s still LOTS we can do to set them up for success to get the most and best sleep possible while traveling.
My #1 piece of advice - Create a familiar sleep environment. The room will physically look different than home, so rely on your child’s other senses to help them feel safe in a new place. Make what they hear, smell, and feel at sleep times just like home!
Here’s what I’m bringing with me to do just that:
- The Slumberpod. It not only creates an ideal dark environment without you having to tape sheets to the windows, but it makes sharing a hotel room easier AND reduces stimulation as they can't see the whole room around them.
The sheet my little one slept on the night before unwashed
The sleep sack my little one slept in the night before unwashed
An extra of both of the above
At-home sound machine for crib/bed naps and bedtime
Portable sound machine for naps on the go
Blankies/lovies/stuffies
Monitor
A few favorite books we like to read before bed/nap
Pro-tip for toddlers and older kiddos - TALK to you kid about what to expect. SHOW them the sleep space in advance. Have them “help” you set it up as soon as you get to your destination. Everything turned around for us around 18 months when I could explain to (and show) Ella what was going to happen next. She’s now a 10/10 traveler. Like I’d take her to Europe and not think twice about it.
