Sleep Tips

Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of traveling parents quite like the question of travel and sleep (or is that just us?). 

- How do we deal with jet lag?
- Will my baby sleep on the plane? 
- Will my child ever sleep AGAIN???

Here are some of our tried-and-true tips and opinions on the subject. Weigh in on the forum below!

Note: Some of these pieces of advice concerning airplane travel invoke the Car Seat vs. Lap Infant debate we discuss here. Do check that out before you make your own travel plans. 

jess says:
1. Don't forget the baby carrier! If your little still snuggles to sleep in an Ergo or Bjorn, do NOT forget to bring it on the plane. You may find yourself walking up and down aisles or bouncing up and down in the bathroom (true story. just last week, in fact). We usually push a stroller through the airport with our carry-on bags, but carry baby in the Ergo. Big Sis usually walks to get her tuckered out, but if we need to rush to a gate, we carry the bags, put her in the stroller, and book it!

2. Blackout curtains. This may seem nutty but I actually always travel with blackout curtains. I'm not talking the heavy expensive ones from Pottery Barn Kids; I'm talking cheapo dark ones that I can throw in the pack & play bag. I can usually just tuck them around whatever blinds are already there. I recently forgot to put them up on our first night in a different time zone, and when I told my 4-year old that it wasn't really morning yet, she looked at the sun, heard the birds chirping and said, "Welp. It's morning to me." Welp, I guess I learned my lesson. 

3. White noise. See note on #2 about those darn birds. Or noisy neighbors. Or trash trucks in the early morning. Either way, make sure you have either a white noise machine (here is a good travel one) or an app downloaded to a device you won't be using during the night. 

4. Melatonin. Talk to your pediatrician about using natural products like melatonin when headed to a different time zone.  

Cally Says: 
1.  The best advice I can give is to stay calm and to just realize that you probably won't get any sleep on flights.  If you go into long international flights with that attitude, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you do get sleep.  Plus, you'll sleep really hard that first night at your new destination :)

2.  Bring one of your child's comfort things: stuffed animal, blanket etc.  I wouldn't' bring too many of these, they are prone to disappear amongst the other mass of items you have brought on the flight.

3.  I have friends that drug their kids before flights. I have never done this because I'm worried it will backfire.  Long airplane flights are the one time I let my children watch unlimited amounts of TV.  Usually they drift off.  I just change them into PJ's after dinner, prop them up with a bunch of extra pillows, drape a blanket, and wait to see what happens.

steph says:
1. On international flights with a baby, I make sure to book the bassinet. It's available for any lap child (under 2) but there is a weight limit. You get the bulkhead row (which means extra space anyway) and a good place to lay baby down to sleep. And if you can time it right, you might actually get some sleep yourself. 

2. I also fly with my carriers (presently using an Ergo) just in case the little ones need some extra attention or help to fall asleep. 

Kelly says:
1. Breast- or bottle-feed your baby upon takeoff. It helps with their ears during the altitude change, and as a bonus, sometimes helps them fall asleep. 

2. My 6-month old recently slept on me most of her first flight to Ireland, which was awesome. I somehow was able to be comfortable, but I know that some moms with small babies appreciate bringing along a Boppy to prop baby on while he/she sleeps so their arms don't get too tired! 

Connect:
What tips can you add???