
Like all activities; you enjoy traveling more when the whole family is getting the rest they need.
When you’re planning an adventure with your child, an important thing to consider is how your travel plans are going to affect your child’s healthy sleep habits. I’ve got some tips to help ensure they get the rest they need to be happy, healthy, and alert during your trip, which is bound to make your vacation more enjoyable for everyone!
Tip 1: Avoid over-scheduling
For everyone’s sake – it’s better to slow down the pace and make sure you schedule regular naps and early bedtimes, just like you would at home. Travel is overstimulating for children in general, and if you’re planning many outings each day, you can imagine that your little one may become agitated and overtired quite easily. If your child takes multiple naps each day, aim for one of them to be a quality nap at home. The other naps can be on the go in a car or stroller.
Inconsistency often leads to over-tiredness, and it may be even more difficult to get back on schedule when you arrive home. Most days, try to keep your child’s body clock on track with their normal sleep times. When naps are missed or early wake-ups occur to catch the plane (as is inevitable) that’s OKAY! It happens, and you can do your best to make sure there is an early bedtime for several days following missed sleep. This will help to get back on track and avoid general over-tiredness.
In situations in which you must share a room with your child, it can be hard to give them the space they need to calm down and soothe themselves to sleep, consider leaving the room (in a hotel, this may mean hiding in the bathroom or out in the hall) until they are asleep and sneaking back in so that your presence isn’t a distraction and/or disruption to their normally independent process.
In just 30 minutes we can better understand the root cause of your parenting challenges and create a plan to address them.