The Secret to Making Holiday Travel with Family a Success: Better Sleep for Babies and Toddlers
Are you planning holiday travel to visit or even stay with family for Thanksgiving or Christmas with a baby or toddler? Preparing for holiday travel with young children, especially those under age 3, can be challenging! When my kids were little, we made a detailed plan to manage family visits during holiday seasons, especially sleeping arrangements!
Each year, we would celebrate Thanksgiving with one side of the family and Christmas with the other, switching the next year.
We created our own holiday—THANKSMAS!
When Thanksgiving was our only time with my side of the family, we would celebrate our ‘Christmas’ the Friday after. We also rotated between three locations: Atlanta (where my brother’s family lived), Cary, NC (our home), and Charleston, SC (where my parents lived). This system worked well, though fitting 12 people in a 3-bedroom home (my parent’s home) was always a bit of a challenge!
In Charleston at my parent's home, circa 2003; my boys and nieces.
Bring Your Own Bedding
When traveling for family events, packing your own comfort items helps ensure everyone sleeps well. While children under 3 typically don’t need their favorite pillow (like me!), they will still sleep better if they have familiar sleep objects in their bed. Remember to pack favorite loveys, familiar books, a noise machine/light, and their portable bed.
The SlumberPod system is perfect for creating the ideal sleeping environment when traveling.
Knowing the sleep setup in advance will help you be prepared. Many times we had to share a room with our children, and trying to creep around in the dark as we prepared for bed was not fun. Whether you're sharing a room with your children, or they are sleeping in another room, often the curtains do not block out enough light. In both situations, I recommend the SlumberPod.
The SlumberPod System, which creates a dark, cozy environment for sleep, also provides you with privacy when sharing a room with your little ones. You will be able to move around in the same room as your child without disturbing their sleep. (I wish SlumberPod had been available when my kids were young!)
Another great option if you have toddlers who have moved out of the crib is the SlumberTot! IT gives your toddler/preschooler their own bed on the floor and is designed to work in conjunction with the SlumberPod.
Right now, there’s a holiday sale on SlumberPod products. If you use my affiliate code, you can access 20% off through November 24, 2024 on any SlumberPod products or bundles! [https://glnk.io/jlr6y/stargazersleep].
Using a white noise machine like the Hatch or SlumberCalm, or even a fan, can help cover up the noise you make as you prepare for bedtime so that you don’t disturb your little one. It’s also helpful to recommend white noise to other adults in the household, especially if there’s likely to be nighttime crying.
Greatgrandchildren and PawPaw
Keeping to a Routine
Even though your routine will change during holiday visits, try to keep nap schedules as close as possible to what you do at home. This will allow both you and your kids to enjoy time with family without the crankiness that comes with overtiredness. Sticking to a regular naptime or quiet time schedule will help keep everyone in a better mood and able to handle the stress of the holidays.
My three boys circa 1999
The Impact of Less Sleep
Staying up a bit later than usual is often unavoidable. But remember, even a 15- to 30-minute delay in bedtime can create a minor sleep deficit for your child that may add up over the holidays.
It has been proven scientifically that adults do not perceive their level of sleepiness fully, (see this study), and it seems we are not prioritizing the importance of sleep in our children.
If you notice more crankiness or meltdowns, especially around 4-5pm, it’s likely your child is overtired and needs extra rest. If your holiday visit throws off their sleep for more than a few days, you may need to address sleep deficits right away. If that’s not possible, as soon as you return home, implement an early bedtime temporarily to help them catch up on missed sleep.
The whole crew together circa 2008
Ongoing Sleep Issues
If your child hasn’t learned to fall asleep independently, visiting with family is not the time to start a new approach. Stick to your usual process to help them sleep.
Once you’re home, and if you’re ready to begin sleep training, it’s best to avoid travel for 2 to 3 weeks until your new routine and schedule are solidified. Learning something new in an environment that you can control makes everything easier! Once independent sleep is established, then you can plan that next trip!
With Thanksgiving on November 28 this year, you still have a couple of weeks to improve your child’s sleep routine, if needed.
Special time with our grandchildren!
For more help, contact me here to begin your journey to better sleep before the holidays!
Most of all……have fun!
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
