Ahhhh! Summer vacation!
Finally, am I right?!
But maybe the idea of traveling with your baby, and getting sleep sounds….scary?
So to help you enjoy your trip, and get sleep while away, read below!
1) Sleep space
Taking the time before your trip to think about/plan your baby’s sleep space, will go a long way!
Room sharing is common while traveling, and I must say, it’s not always the easiest.
So if you’re staying in a hotel:
See if you can book a room that has a ‘suite’, they aren’t always posted on sites like Expedia or can be difficult to search. I have found that calling the hotel can be an easy way to book a suite- plus, they are often similar in price to a regular hotel room.
If a suite is not an option, consider placing the pack n play near the ‘closet’ area of the room, so that there is some separation between everyone’s sleep space.
If none of those are an option, using something like a Slumberpod can be a great option! Click here to check out Slumberpod!
Air bnb or friends/family:
I have been known to message Air bnb hosts and ask about their blinds…yup, I’m that mom. I feel like blinds should be functional…you know, light and heat blocking, and not just for aesthetics…but that’s just me…
I love grabbing a box of heavy duty garbage bags and a roll of painters tape to help make my child’s room darker!
I recently came across the Sleep Out blind (and have an affiliate code here). They are some of the best travel blinds I’ve seen on the market- I’ve also read through hundreds of reviews of travel blinds on Amazon, and it’s totally hit and miss.
If you have a travel blind that you love, send me the link! I’d love to check them out!
2) Naps!
Please spend some time thinking about how your baby will nap!
If you haven’t already experienced an overtired baby on vacation, let me tell you what often happens- more night wake ups.
Strange environment + overtired baby = more overnight wake up
Blah.
Honoring your child’s daytime naps while away will make for a more pleasant vacation.
Note on children who don’t normally nap at home!
My second daughter doesn’t nap anymore (and she’s 3 ish) but while away, swimming, playing on the beach, we often consider letting her nap for max. 1 hour during the day.
The extra activity and outside play is exhausting!
So this may mean that your child who normally doesn’t nap (and it’s a disaster if they do) may need a nap while away.
3) Planning activities
So hear me out here!
Before kids, we would have action packed trips! Go-go-go all day!
But with kids, especially when they were babies, planning too many activities made everyone miserable.
I had a co-worker once who went to Disney world when her baby was under a year old (I wouldn’t do that but okay!) and they would get back on the train, go back to the hotel, so their baby could nap in the room, peacefully.
Then after his nap, they would get back on the train and head back to the park!
Ooph.
Now the lesson here is that even though they had a busy vacation, they took the time to help their baby feel more well rested, and that made for a better Disney experience.
All this to say, is that not honoring your baby’s daytime naps, plus too many activities, equals a very expensive and frustrating vacation.
The cost isn’t just financial- there’s a sleep debt that accumulates, there could be a dent in your relationship with your partner, and the memories can be, not what you expected.
So to help you have a great vacation, take some time to plan ahead so the experience and memories can be positive:)
Hope this helps!
Here for you,
Melody Patton
