How To Get Baby To Sleep When Travelling?

How To Get Baby To Sleep When Travelling?

As travel begins to slowly reappear you might suddenly be faced with stress around how to travel with your baby, how to help your baby sleep on vacation and of course where your baby can sleep when travelling.
Fear not, combining years of baby and child experience your Baby Sleep Coach has come up with the answers to new parents five most asked questions about baby sleep whilst on holiday:

Will Travel Ruin Baby’s Sleep Routine?

This is likely the most asked question relating to travel and holidays that I get asked. The answer is no, a week or two of a slightly altered routine won’t put your efforts to waste and, if they do throw your baby off their usual sleep schedule, it shouldn’t be too hard to get them back on track. When you return from your holiday ensure you begin your ‘pre-holiday’ sleep routine the first night back, this helps to show that when you are at home it’s business as usual. The best way to help baby sleep when travelling is to create a ‘home from home’ environment wherever you are staying.

family traveling with a baby

Here Are A Few Top Tips:

  • Use your own travel cot where possible and practise beforehand – if you can’t take your own travel cot (such as if you’re taking your baby on a plane) then check with the hotel the size of the travel cot they will be providing and take your own sheets. If you can use sheets that have already been in the baby’s cot then they will smell of home and be more comforting. If their cot mattress is a different size to yours it’s definitely worth purchasing new sheets that will fit to be able to provide your baby with this home comfort.

  • Don’t forget the favourite features of their bedtime routine! Whether your baby has a favourite soft toy, baby comforter, bedtime story, their top baby bath toy, a white noise machine or even a favourite pair of pyjama’s make sure to pack it! If you wear their pyjama under your top for few days, your baby will find your scent very calming, relaxing and soothing.

  • Travel black-out blinds – these can be a lifesaver when staying somewhere other than home. If your baby is accustomed to a dark room then you will want to purchase one of these before staying away.

  • An Air BnB is a great way to create that ‘home from home’ environment as they tend to have more home comforts and features than a hotel room.

Where Does Baby Nap When On Holiday?

Every baby is different, especially when it comes to their sleeping habits. By now you will know if your baby is likely to sleep on the move or whether they absolutely need their beds. If you want to be out and about during your travels then practise with on-the-move naps prior to your trip.

Our Suggestions For On The Move Napping For Active Parents Include:

  • Pram or Buggy – if you’re going somewhere warm ensure you have a form of shade available either from a parasol or an extended pram hood. Avoid hanging a muslin or blanket over the front of the pram in order to create shade, it can get very hot very quickly under there.

  • A baby carrier – There are baby carriers available for a wider range of baby sizes on the current market. If you’re going to try a baby carrier for the first time, ensure you do a trial run to check the settings are comfortable – you definitely don’t want to injure your back halfway through a hike and still have a baby to carry around!

  • In a car seat whilst travelling – the gentle vibrations of a moving car are often ideal sleep promoters for babies and if you are transporting yourselves by car it might be a good idea to do so at nap time so they don’t get restless. Please remember to never leave your baby in a hot car as the temperature can rise very quickly once the air conditioning is turned off. Make sure to take frequent breaks and get your baby out of the car seat, if you doing long journeys

  • In the hotel/room – don’t be afraid to sacrifice some of your usual exploration time for a nap in the hotel room. Some babies will only sleep in a cot but if you are travelling in a warm environment the break from the heat might do you both good.

baby in travel cot

How Can I Help Baby Sleep in Travel Cot?

  • Travel cots aren’t the most luxurious of items, you can buy additional mattresses for most but if you are travelling abroad taking a mattress, even a fold-up one, is likely not an option. In the absence of an extra mattress – and don’t be afraid to ask the hotel for one – we recommended padding the bottom of the cot with a couple of flat bath towels and putting the sheet over the top. This should help baby to sleep better, don’t be tempted to use soft duvets or thick blankets as baby’s sleep surface should be flat and firm – but the towel should just ensure the base of the bottom of the cot isn’t poking into babies back.

  • If your little one is a toddler then consider whether a mattress on the floor would be more comfortable for them as the travel cots can be quite flimsy and a determined toddler could knock one over. If your toddler isn’t used to sleeping without the sides of a cot then ensure you line the floor next to them with a duvet or towels as hotel floors tend to be much firmer than bedroom carpets!

Do You Keep To Baby’s Bed-Time Routine When Away From Home?

  • Where possible, try to keep the night-time routine similar such as bath, book and bed. If you do need to adjust bedtimes to make the most of your time away then don’t panic too much – it shouldn’t harm your usual routine when you return! Just make sure that on your return home you go straight back to the usual bedtime or baby sleep schedule. This will help differentiate between ‘holiday bedtime’ and ‘home bedtime’. I have fond memories of the excitement of staying up past bedtime when on holiday as a child.
  • It is also common to find that holiday excitement, activities and sunshine tire your children out quicker. After all, Vitamin D can help your baby sleep so as you’re more likely to be outside, they are more likely to tire out – we’ll let you decide whether that is a help or hindrance to your time away!
  • You know your child and how they will cope best however, we would recommend if you are staying up later to try and be near to your hotel. That way should the signs of over-tiredness begin to creep up you can quickly get them to bed, don’t forget that they can start the night sleeping in the pram whilst you’re out and when you get them back to your room you can just transfer them in their bed. There’s nothing wrong with letting baby snooze in the buggy whilst the adults enjoy a nice meal on their holiday.
mum cuddling baby to sleep

What Should My Baby Wear To Bed On Holiday?

  • What to dress your baby in for bed can be a minefield of questions for any new parent as the weather changes, so what to dress baby in for bed when travelling can be a really stressful packing question!
  • To practise baby safe sleeping guidelines, I always recommend that once they are big enough (check your sleeping bag manufacturer but most are from 8lbs) they sleep in a baby sleeping bag or baby gro bag. You can get lower tog sleeping bags up to even 0.5 tog, which is very thin. Alternatively, you can let baby just sleep in a vest or nappy if they will, my baby would never go to sleep without some covering so we would get the lowest tog possible and keep baby in nappy underneath if it was still warm.
  • If you’re worried about it being warm, taking a room thermometer is a good idea. You can take small ones that are just a piece of card that will give you a good enough estimate to make a decision. You can use a fan in the baby’s room but make sure it’s not pointed at them and, as usual, keep them away from heat sources and direct sunlight. The Lullaby Trust has a some great advice on keeping baby safe during the summer.

Let us know if this has helped you or if you have any further questions about getting your baby to sleep when travelling, in the comments section below.

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.


For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our
 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

Will My Nursery / Child-Care Provider Support My Little Ones Sleep?

Will My Nursery / Child-Care Provider Support My Little Ones Sleep?

When you have worked hard to improve your child’s sleep routine, especially if your child has had difficulty sleeping in the past, the idea of sending them to a Nursery or a Child-minder where their sleep routine may not be supported can be daunting to parents. When selecting a child-care facility, I always recommend looking around at least twice and at different times of the day if you’re able to as this will give you more of an idea of their routine. However, you should always speak to your child-care provider about your child’s sleep routines and your concerns. Maybe you have a special phrase that means it’s sleep-time, or perhaps a comforter that needs to be removed once they fall asleep? All these little things can affect your child’s sleep and it’s perfectly acceptable to ask them about it!

Recently, I was asked by Purple Jay Nurseries to go to their Lambeth, London site (they also have lovely facilities in both Peckham Rye and East Dulwich) and do a presentation and question and answer style interview for the parents there all about Supporting Sleep and talking them through my gentle, holistic methods. I was so pleased not only to be asked and able to help this group of parents in person (which thanks to Covid were a novelty) but to be able to answer individual questions.

baby sleep coach workshop 1

It was also refreshing to have a nursery wanting to support their parents and little ones through what can be one of the biggest challenges of parenting. Having passed on my methods to both staff and parents, I’m confident it will help everyone get some improved sleep and more communication regarding sleep behaviours between the nursery and parents. They were so accommodating and I hope to return at some stage as I felt it not only really benefitted everyone but also built the parents confidence that the Nursery is looking after their little one’s best interests. Something every parent wants in their child-care provider!
baby sleep coach back to work guide 1 2

How Can I Communicate Our Sleep Routine To Nursery / Child-Care?

Absolutely make sure you communicate your sleep routine! Child-care providers will be actively looking for all the methods to help support your little one to sleep. Remember they also WANT them to sleep and be in their best mood possible for the day.

If, like myself, you’re against the cry-it-out method, or have other ‘no no’s’ when it comes to naptime then make sure you make that clear within your handover instructions. If you’re new to your child attending child-care because of going back to work then I’d recommend looking at my Back To Work Guide, shorter than my sleep guide. This guide focuses on returning to work and how to ease this transition. Even if you aren’t returning to work there is a lot of useful information on how to start your child with a child-care provider and a handy handover template/guide.

The best way to communicate your wishes around your child’s care is to write it down (maybe even laminate it!) and put it within your child’s belongings so that whenever the nursery are changing a nappy or in your child’s bag they will be reminded of your care instructions.
baby sleep coach holding baby 2

Can You Speak To My Child’s Child-Care Provider?

Similarly to the presentation, I did at Purple Jay Nurseries, I’m available to speak to parents and/or staff regarding sleep methods that follow my gentle, holistic and family centred ethos. If your nursery would like me to do a presentation then they can contact me directly here where I can happily talk through the options with them directly. My sleep presentations build the confidence of parents not only with their home sleep-time routines but also with the ability of their nursery to accommodate their gentle sleep preferences to the highest standard. Discussing these strategies together can bring a new clarification on what may or may not work for a child – and also where the discrepancies might be!

    Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

    For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our  1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

    Enjoying Your First Christmas With Baby

    Enjoying Your First Christmas With Baby

    In the run-up to Christmas, a lot of parents can put pressure on themselves to make everything perfect and enjoy these key milestone moments. Whilst Christmas can be enjoyable with a baby, the hustle and bustle of lots of visiting, different locations and baby-friendly Christmas socialising can be difficult to balance for parents. With this in mind, I have written some of my best advice for helping your little one to sleep during the Holidays.

    Whilst we are very much a fan of following your baby’s lead when it comes to their nap times, amidst the festive season it’s best to have a plan and a contingency plan in place for naps. If your little one isn’t used to a lot of company and you bring them into a busy home at Christmas it can be overwhelming for babies and lead to them feeling tired earlier than usual or being overtired and cranky.

    Here’s Some Of Our Advice To Allow That Much-Needed Rest To Go As Smoothly As Possible:

    girl in santa outfit opening present

    Bring Your Own Travel Cot

    Use your own travel cot where possible and practise beforehand. These days travel cots are a lot easier to transport around and it’s a good idea to have one thrown into the boot of the car even if you aren’t planning on staying long enough for a nap. Bring their cot bed sheets and pyjamas that they have already slept in. A familiar smell will be soothing for your child. Read more travel tips here

    Try To Avoid Cat Napping

    Try not to let baby cat-nap in the car for multiple short periods if you’re going between numerous houses in one day. This can disrupt their sleep pattern and leave them in a worse mood than if they’d not napped at all. When you have a baby you have every right to text and say ‘sorry, going to be an hour late as baby has fallen to sleep at Granny’s. Read more here on how to get baby sleep while travelling.

    Make Sure To Bring The Bedtime Favourites With You.

    Don’t forget the favourite features of their bedtime routine! If your baby is stopping overnight (either with or without you) in a different place, don’t forget what makes the bedtime routine special to them. Whether your baby has a favourite soft toy, baby comforter, bedtime story, their top baby bath toy, a white noise machine or even a favourite pair of pyjama’s make sure to pack it! If you wear their pyjama under your top for a few days, your baby will find your scent very calming, relaxing and soothing.

    newborn baby sleeping in a christmas outfit

    Don’t Forget To Bring Travel Blackout Blinds And A White Noise Machine

    Travel black-out blinds & White Noise machines – these can be a lifesaver when staying somewhere other than home. If your baby is accustomed to a dark room then you will want to purchase a travel blind before staying away, the white noise will help drown out any adult merriment going on past bedtime but remember to test it beforehand if they don’t usually have white noise as it could have the opposite effect.

    Put Them To Bed Yourself Before Heading Out

    Put them to bed yourself, unless they are very used to another person doing it regularly. This will make them feel more settled into the new environment because they know the comfort of their parents is there.

    Remember vitamin D can help your baby sleep better so go out whenever you can. More on that here.

    mum and baby with christmas presents

    Choose The Right Foods For You And Your Baby To Support Better Sleep.

    • If you are breastfeeding, avoid caffeine and artificial additives.

    • Avoid giving babies that are weaning caffeine and artificial additives. This includes chocolate.

    • Sleep supporting foods for babies that are weaning include foods rich in tryptophan, B-vitamins and complex carbohydrates. Full list of sleep supporting foods here.

    • Allow time for your baby to digest their evening meal before bed.

    • A warm milk drink or breastfeed immediately before bed can help your baby to sleep well.

    baby wearing a Santas hat sitting in a basket

    Relax!!!

    Relax! If the sleep routine is disrupted for a couple of days it won’t set back all your hard work. Just make sure it’s clear that once you are back home, so are the bedtime rules

    We hope these tips help, let us know in the comments! Remember, whilst everyone will be excited to spend a few moments with your little one just be reassured that you can say no to visits, holding your baby, looking after your baby etc if you would prefer they didn’t!

    Parents, often mothers, feel guilty at Christmas wanting to please everyone – you only have to please your little one! I hope you have a wonderful and restful holiday period, however, or whatever you choose to celebrate.

    PS – Still Looking For A Christmas Gift For A New Parent? We Offer Gift Cards For Our Services And Store!

    mum relaxing at christmas wearing santa socks

    Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

    For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our  1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

    Halloween Sleepy Food Ideas To Get Your Children Sleeping Well

    Halloween Sleepy Food Ideas To Get Your Children Sleeping Well

    As Halloween approaches, parents everywhere may be wondering how with all the Halloween Treats they can still trick their little one into going to bed at a reasonable time.

    Whilst planning earlier Halloween activities such as an afternoon Halloween party instead of a nighttime chocolate feast is a good idea if you’ve got little ones – this isn’t always possible, especially if your toddler has older siblings. We have listed some of our favourite sleep-inducing foods but with a spooky twist to let the kids join in the fun (but until a reasonable time!).

    The important thing is to have fun like one night of sugar-fuelled sleep issues won’t affect your routine as long as you pick it up the next day.
    The recipes below include foods that increase the production of sleep-inducing hormones. You can read more about these on our Foods and the full list of foods that Promote Sleep Blog here.

     

    Now, onto our spooktacular Sleepy Halloween Treats:

    halloween pancakes sleepy food to help kids sleep

    Spooky Sleepy Banana Pancakes

    Our banana and oat pancakes are a spooktacular way to include melatonin in your little one’s meal. The most important thing to remember is that – pancakes aren’t just for breakfast! These make a great, healthy dessert or Halloween treat. They can be whipped up easily within 15 minutes by an adult or it’s a great task to include your baby or toddler in as a messy play or learning experience – depending on their age!

    Ingredients (to make enough for 1 adult and 1 little!):

    • 2 ripe bananas

    • 2 Eggs

    • 8 TBSP or ½ Cup of rolled oats

    • ½ TSP baking powder

    • Cherries as a melatonin rich addition (optional)

    • Cherry jam to drizzle (optional)

      Treat Tip: If your child is a little older, consider whether to use chocolate chips as the ‘eyes’ of the ghost – but don’t forget your cherries for the mouth and drizzle to keep that sleepy secret sauce!

    Method:

    • Mash up the bananas in a bowl with either a fruit masher or the back of a fork.
      Tip: This is a great part for your little one to help with.
    • Whisk the 2 eggs together and add to your bananas. Continue to mix well until they have formed one mixture.
      Tip: If you’re trying to be quick then you can add all the ingredients to a blender or hand blend!
    • Heat up your pan with a little oil on a medium high heat.
    • Add the rolled oats and the baking powder, mix well and then stand for a few minutes minutes to thicken.
    • Turn the pan to a medium heat and ladle/spoon the pancake mixture into the pan. Try to make some ghoulish shapes!
    • Cook for few minutes on medium heat.
    • Flip the pancakes and cook for a further few minutes.
    • Serve up, don’t forget to get creative with the fruit, jam, dessert sauce, chocolate chips or whatever you and your family are using.

    Let us know how it goes with a photo in the comments!

    halloween green smoothie food to help child sleep

    Green Sleeping Potion Smoothie

    This one is a super easy win and filled with fantastic nutrients! If your little one is old enough to participate in some imaginary play you could pretend you are making a magical potion together.

    All you need is:

    1 Banana

    Ice cubes

    A handful of Kale

    1 ripe Avocado

    Fresh orange juice (add to correct consistency)

    Method:

    Put all the ingredients into your magic cauldron (or a blender if you don’t have a cauldron!) and blend until it is a smooth, green consistency. The avocado should make the potion smooth but if it’s too ‘green’ for your children, add some more orange juice.

      healthy ice cream to help child sleep

      Spiderlicious Ice Cream

      • 4 ripe bananas (the riper they are, they sweeter they will be) cut into round slices, frozen.

      • 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk

      • 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach or to taste

      Blend together the coconut milk / unsweetened almond milk and the baby spinach.

      Once your have the spinach-puree, add the frozen bananas in and blend again until it reaches the desired consistency.

      Enjoy immediately or put into a loaf tin or similar, tightly sealed and into the freezer.

        edamame dip sleepy food for halloween to help kids sleep

        Edamame Dip With Carrot Sticks

        12 oz edamame frozen or fresh, shelled

        1 lemon just the juice

        1 clove garlic

        1/4 tsp cumin ground

        1/4 tsp black pepper

        1/4-1/3 cup olive oil

        Method:

        • Fill a saucepan with boiling water. Add frozen edamame to the water and boil for 4-5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
        • In the bowl of a food processor, add edamame, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Turn on the machine and process for 2 minutes.
        • Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl and turn machine on again.  With the machine still running, slowly stream in olive oil through the feed tube. Check for consistency and seasoning.
        • You may top with a bit more olive oil, lemon juice and a sprinkling paprika if desired. Serve alongside fresh veggies, slices of pitta bread, breadsticks or some tortilla crisps for older children.
        turkey meatballs with halloween pumpkin

        Turkey Meatballs That Will Make Your Child Sleep

        • ground turkey

        • rolled oats

        • onion powder

        • garlic powder

        • dried parsley

        • dried basil

        • dried oregano

        • salt

        • pepper

        • egg

        Method:

        Preheat oven at 400F (200 C) or pop then in air fryer for 20 minutes.

        Mix all the ingredients together and shape them mixture into balls.

        Place them on a baking tray and bake in preheated oven or fry them in your air fryer.

        You can add grated courgettes to hide some extra veg into you child’s food.

        We hope the recipes above help you have a few Spooky but Sleepy treats this Halloween! Remember, it’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself to stick to bedtime routines on one off instances like these. Whilst our sleep routines are important, so are the memories we create together on special occasions. If you’re going to visit family this Halloween and your child will be sleeping elsewhere, don’t forget to check out our blog on How To Get Your Baby To Sleep Whilst Travelling.

        Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.


        For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our
         1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.