Summer Travel and Sleep

In anticipation of summer travel, some parents become concerned that leaving home will throw off their kids sleep. Some kids, when away from home will adapt to the new environment and time zone without a glitch. But for others, it's really difficult to adjust to new surroundings and they might begin to resist going to sleep or wake up frequently throughout the night. Here are some quick travel tips from the book I co-wrote entitled "The Sleepeasy Solution", for those of you gearing up for a summer trip:

GETTING THERE

1) Try to schedule travel--whether a flight or a car trip--during a nap time or around your child's bedtime. Yep, sometimes red-eye flights might be the way to go. Hopefully, your child will then be able to sleep on the way and not be extremely overtired by the time you get to your destination. The other benefit of a night flight is that your child will not get too bogged down with boredom being strapped into his seat for too long before it's time for some shut-eye.
2) For an older child, be sure to pack several sippy cups or juice boxes with favorite beverages (but beware the cranberry or grape juice that will stain clothing or seats), easy, no-mess snacks and new toys that will be sure to entertain your child because he's never played with them before and will occupy him longer.
3) If you're traveling by plane, at take-off and landing, plan to help your child drink some liquid; offer breast or bottle for babies, sippy cup with water or juice for older children. Swallowing continuously at these times will help prevent pressure from building in her ears and protect them from discomfort.

CREATING A GOOD SLEEP ENVIRONMENT

1) If your child is still in a crib, arrange for a crib at your destination if possible. If it isn't possible to get a crib, bring a portable playpen. If you are using a crib, bring a crib sheet from home that you haven't washed in a few days, so it smells familiar to your child. Also bring whatever else he is currently attached to: blankies, stuffed animals, pacifiers, favorite toys or books, favorite pj's.
2) When you arrive at your destination, spend some time with your child in the room where he'll be sleeping to help him orient to that space.
3) Bring white noise with you to protect your child against unusual sounds in the new environment, like the clickety-cloack of the room service cart in the hallway.

DEALING WITH TIME ZONE CHANGES
1) If you're traveling WEST TO EAST, deciding whether to keep your child on the same time zone as home or not will really depend on a couple of factors. First, how long are you staying where you're going? If it's more than a week, it's going to be pretty tough to keep your child on the same old time zone, as her body will more than likely begin to adjust on it's own from sunlight.
If you're going east for UNDER a week, however, you may be able to stay on the same time zone schedule as the one you'll be returning to. Try to keep nosie and light out of the room in the morning, so your child's body doesn't start waking too early. And keep a watch on your home time zone and follow the normal schedule. Parents often say they enjoy 8:00 dinners and sleeping until 9 in the morning when their kids can stay up a bit later on vacation.
2) If you're traveling EAST TO WEST, it's a bit trickier. Your child will inevitably wake early the first day; you really don't have a choice but to get up with her. Then, watch the clock. You're going to try to s-t-r-e-t-c-h her as far as you can toward her regular naps time, according to the time zone you're in. Then you can help her get closer to her normal bedtime and she should start sleeping later in a couple of days.

Give your child a couple of days to acclimate to his new surroundings. If you spend enough time in the room where he'll be sleeping and try to stick to your normal bedtime routines and schedule, he should begin to adjust quickly and you can then fully enjoy your vacation!