Are you traveling with your baby or young kids over the summer? Are you worried about adjusting naps and coordinating bedtimes while away? I get it. I’ve been there. Whether you are visiting family here in the United States or taking a fun international trip overseas, there are a few things to help adjust your baby or child’s naps and bedtimes so that you can enjoy your vacation time!
- One of the easiest and most helpful ways to acclimate your child to the new time zone is to expose your child to light during the day, which will help to produce more cortisol (our body’s wake up hormone).
- The other piece of this is to keep the room dark at night. Darkness helps our bodies produce melatonin which is our sleep hormone.
- Additionally, keep the routines for naps and bedtimes as close to your home routines as possible.
Use my handy chart below to help you prep and have a great trip!
Short Trip 7 days or less Doesn’t matter time difference | Long Trip 7 days or more 1-3 hour time difference | Long Trip 7 days or more 4-7 hour time difference | |
| Prep work at home | No prep work | Shift schedule by 15 to 30 minutes a day a few days before the trip | Shift schedule by 30 minutes to an hour a day 5 -7 days before the trip |
| Nap plan at destination | Skip naps or catnap only to help build up sleep pressure for bedtime | Align naps to timing of travel destination over the course of a few days | Align naps to timing of travel destination over the course of a week |
Stephanie Kirklin is a certified newborn and pediatric sleep consultant in Verona, WI. She holds a Doctorate in Education with over 20 years of teaching and administration experience. She is a newborn care specialist and a mom of three children. Stephanie owns Pillowhead Sleep Training. Please visit www.pillowheadsleep.com for more helpful tips and tricks or follow her on Instagram @pillowheadsleeptraining
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