Spring Travel

It’s travel season! Lots of families are looking to get some fun in the sun this Spring and Summer, but many parents worry about logistics of travel with young kids. In this blog post, Rachael Shepard-Ohta of Hey, Sleepy Baby will explain some of the most common issues parents face while traveling with babies and kids, including:

How sleep is impacted by travel
Helping your child sleep on a plane
Adjusting to new time zones
Strollers, Carriers, and Car Seats Oh My!
Favorite items to make travel easier

My toddler’s sleep gets completely messed up with any kind of travel. What are some things I can do to help?

It’s so hard when things go off track after travel. This is really common, and with some patience it should pass soon. A couple of things to remember is to try to keep to your “home” schedule and routine as much as possible. This may mean waking your toddler at their normal wake up time in the morning (even if they’d rather sleep in!), or waking them up a little earlier from their nap so they can get to bed at a reasonable time. Keep your bedtime routines calm and predictable, and they should adjust in a few days!

Photo courtesy of Rachael Shepard-Ohta.

How do I help my child sleep on a plane?

You may want to bring some baby noise canceling headphones! Lots of times the plane is very loud- with the bells “dinging” or flight attendants making announcements or your neighbors coughing etc. which can disturb your child and make it hard for them to fall asleep and stay asleep.

If you have a newborn-12 month old, you can purchase a seat in the front bulkhead where you can request a bassinet (depends on your child’s weight, airline, and availability). You’ll want to call your airline to be sure these are available or check it out while you book your trip. You can check SeatGuru to see how many are available on your flight/ with your seat (if at all). This can be a great option for babies who sleep well in bassinets at home. Otherwise, bring a baby carrier so you can get baby cozy and snuggled up on you- you can walk up and down the aisles when safe to do so to help them fall asleep. Or, bring a car seat on the plane! A familiar spot like a car seat can help your little one feel secure and fall asleep. Check out my travel blog for more about this.

Remember that this is likely a new experience for your baby and you! So while you can add in sleep associations that they are comfortable with- like holding/ wearing, feeding to sleep, a pacifier or special blanket, or even their PJ’s and sleep sack, they might not sleep as much as you’re hoping they will. Or they might sleep a ton! Bottom line, you can try and obsess about nap times or you can go with the flow and remember that you’ll get to your destination far less stressed. Your baby, for the most part, will sleep when they need to.

To plan your trip, it depends on how far you’re going and if you want layovers or not. I think this is a personal choice. We’ve done red-eye flights with my kids, and we’ve traveled during nap times. I haven’t ever noticed a huge disaster one way or another- you have to just know your child and have really realistic (and low!) expectations for how they’ll sleep during travel.

We’re traveling somewhere in a different time zone. What’s the best way to help my baby adjust quickly?

Traveling across time zones is going to impact sleep- there’s no getting around it! I tend to approach this in two ways depending on the length of the trip. If the trip is longer than a week, then I shift the schedule and begin practicing this at home. I shift bedtime or naps in 15-minute increments until I reach the new routine that we will be aiming for on holiday. However, if the trip is shorter, I try and keep to the same schedule and absorb the later or earlier routine depending on if I traveled East or West. My blog goes into more detail about adjusting for time changes!

Using light to your advantage is the biggest key. Get out into the sunlight when it’s morning (even if it doesn’t feel like morning!) and keep things dim and calm at nighttime.

If I have opted to just use our original routine and this means a later bedtime or earlier wake, I try and find the joy in the new schedule. For example, I try to look forward to the sunrises with early wakes, or early morning or late night walks!

Photo courtesy of Rachael Shepard-Ohta.

Do I need a travel stroller or is a carrier enough? What about traveling with car seats?

Strollers, Carriers, and Car Seats

Lightweight strollers are your best friend and you can check them at the gate! Something like a Doona is another great option for babies if you plan on having your baby in the carseat on the plane (which is the safest option) vs. on your lap. The Doona folds right down from stroller to carseat so it’s easy to go from taxi, to airport, to plane, etc.! There are lots of other stroller options that fold up to be compact enough to fit in an overhead bin, although we usually do just fine with gate-checking.

Baby Carriers are another awesome option. Structured backpack carriers can be bulky to pack but lots of soft carriers allow you to carry toddlers until they’re four (depending on the type and weight limit) and might be something you want to bring along if you plan to be doing lots of hiking or similar activities on your trip. Otherwise a soft structured carrier or a wrap-style carrier can allow for easy babywearing and also easy packing.

Car seats on planes are a hot topic. People either love taking them or hate them. Technically speaking, it’s safest to have your little ones in their own car seats for air travel. For our family, it has been a game changer! Aside from being safer, it is so much more comfortable than having a lap infant. It’s more expensive to buy them a separate seat of course, but you can often ask for a free seat to bring the car seat along! Many children love being in a familiar space and this familiarity can also help facilitate sleep while flying.

For others, carrying bulky car seats and managing children in the airport feels like too much. You can check the car seats, but having them in the hold can damage the integrity of the car seat if they are bumped around too much. If there is space on the airplane, some airlines will allow you to have the car seat in the cabin of the plane even if you don’t use it. Another option is to rent seats when you arrive at your destination, which can be pre-arranged with certain companies.

Any other essentials I should pack to help my baby sleep better while we’re away?

Less is more I say, especially when thinking about multiple kids. You’ll need a safe sleep space (travel crib, blow up mattress etc. depending on the age of child!) and some familiar sleep associations (white noise machine, sleep sack, etc.) to make the transition easier.

One service I LOVE to use while traveling is Babyquip. You can rent ANY baby gear you may need from a local who will deliver it right to your door! We’ve used this service to rent toys, strollers, high chairs, beach items- you name it! Such a space saver and so much less stressful than trying to remember every single thing you may need.

For more of my favorite tried and true items, check out my favorite travel gear and the travel toys my kids love to keep busy!
For more on traveling with little ones, check out Rachael’s FREE Travel with Babies and Kids Guide!

Photo courtesy of Rachael Shepard-Ohta.

Have feedback on our story? Email [email protected] to let us know what you think!

Rachael Shepard-Ohta is a Certified Sleep Consultant, Infant-Parent Mental Health Specialist, and mom of 3. Rachael founded Hey, Sleepy Baby in 2020 when she was frustrated with the status quo baby sleep advice. Her platform, courses, and team work with families worldwide to change the narrative surrounding infant sleep while getting the whole family better rest! She lives in San Francisco, CA with her family.