Colin Snow
Travelling with a baby or toddler can be an exciting adventure for the whole family, but it can also be tiring and challenging. One of the most important things to consider when travelling with young children is their sleep. This paragraph will explore the various options and factors to consider when deciding where a 1-year-old should sleep when travelling, including products, routines, and accommodations. By planning ahead and creating a comfortable and familiar sleep environment, parents can help their little ones get the rest they need while on the go.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleeping arrangements | One-year-olds can sleep in the same bed as their parents, in a separate bed, or in a travel crib or tent. |
| Sleep environment | It is important to maintain a familiar bedtime routine and sleep environment when travelling with a one-year-old. This includes bringing their usual sleepwear, comfort items, books, and white noise. |
| Travel tips | When staying in a hotel, book a room with a separate living area or attached room to allow for separate sleeping spaces. Consider bringing a travel crib or tent for your child to sleep in. |
| Nap schedules | Try to maintain your one-year-old's nap schedule as much as possible while travelling. If this is not possible, aim for at least one nap per day in your "home away from home". |
| Time zone adjustments | If the time zone difference is minor (1-3 hours) or the trip is short, keep your one-year-old on their home time zone. For larger time zone changes, use light exposure to help adjust their sleep schedule: expose them to daylight during awake times and keep their sleep space dark during sleep times. |
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What You'll Learn
Maintaining a familiar bedtime routine
Travelling can be exciting for both parents and children, but it can also be tiring. Maintaining a familiar bedtime routine for your one-year-old while travelling can help ease some of the worries and make the transition to a new environment easier for your little one. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:
Plan Ahead
The days leading up to travel can be hectic, with packing and other preparations interfering with your child's sleep. Do your best to protect their sleep time before your trip to avoid starting your journey with a sleep deficit. If your one-year-old is accustomed to sleeping in their own space at home, try to continue this while travelling. When booking accommodations, opt for a room with a separate living area or attached room to create a familiar and separate sleeping environment for your child. If this is not feasible, the bathroom of your hotel room can work as long as it has adequate ventilation. If you're staying with friends or family, discuss the possibility of separate room accommodations for your child in advance.
Stick to Familiar Bedtime Rituals
A familiar bedtime routine cues your child's brain that it's time to sleep. If you typically give them a bath, followed by a mini massage, dressing them in pajamas, feeding them, and reading a book, continue this routine while travelling. Consistency is key! During trips, it's tempting to pack in as many activities as possible, but an overtired child can lead to crankiness and disrupted sleep. Aim for one nap to take place at your accommodation, allowing your child to get a restful nap in a familiar environment.
Adjust to Time Zone Changes
If you're travelling across time zones, gradually adjust your child's sleep schedule before the trip. Expose them to natural light and maintain regular meal times during travel to help them adapt to the new time zone. When travelling west, delay bedtime by 15-30 minutes each day until you reach the local time. When travelling east, advance bedtime by the same amount each day. Keep the lights brighter at night before their new later bedtime, and maintain darkness in the morning for longer than usual to help with the transition.
Bring Familiar Comforts
Pack a few key items from home, such as their favourite blanket, a stuffed animal, and some familiar bedtime stories. These familiar comforts can help your child feel more secure and comfortable in a new sleeping environment. If your child uses a white noise machine or blackout blinds at home, consider bringing these or portable alternatives to help block out noise and light distractions during sleep.
Use Visual Tools
A bedtime routine chart can be a great visual reminder to help maintain your child's bedtime routine and reduce stalling. Fill the chart with images that your child can recognize, displaying them in the order of your typical bedtime routine. Place the chart somewhere easily accessible to your child, allowing them to interact with it by marking off steps or pointing to each step as they progress towards bedtime.
By following these tips, you can help your one-year-old maintain a familiar bedtime routine while travelling, promoting better sleep and a more enjoyable journey for your entire family.
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Travel cots and cribs
When travelling with a 1-year-old, it is important to consider their sleep arrangements. A familiar bedtime routine is important to cue your baby's brain that it is time to sleep, so try to stick to your usual routine as much as possible. If your child is a light sleeper, it may be worth booking a hotel room with a separate living area or attached room to allow them to sleep separately from you. Some hotels provide cots or cribs, so you could book a hotel that provides these. Alternatively, you could bring your own travel cot or crib.
There are several travel cots and cribs on the market that are lightweight and easy to assemble and disassemble, making them perfect for travel. When choosing a travel cot or crib, it is important to consider your child's safety. All cots, including travel cots, sold new in the UK, must meet stringent European safety requirements. To ensure a cot's safety, check that it meets the British safety standard BS EN 716. If you buy a second-hand cot, you do not need to replace the mattress, provided that it is in good condition.
The Bugaboo travel cot has both a raised zip-in baby bassinet and a deep bed for toddlers, as well as a comfortable and generously filled built-in mattress. It is compact and lightweight, making it easy to transport in its carry bag. The Silver Cross Slumber is another option that can be used as a bedside co-sleeper, travel cot, and playpen. It includes a newborn insert that sits at the top of the cot, allowing your baby to sleep at the height of your bed.
The Joie Kubbie travel cot has a pull-and-click functionality that allows you to convert it from a bassinet to a travel cot. It is lightweight and easy to fold, making it convenient for travel. The Red Kite Dreamer is another option that offers a drop-side function, similar to a bedside crib. The KidCo PeaPod is a compact option that works like a tiny popup tent with a thin mattress on the bottom. It is suitable for kids ages 1+ and does not have a weight limit.
In addition to travel cots and cribs, there are other options for your 1-year-old's sleep arrangements while travelling. If you are staying in a hotel, you could book a room with a pull-out sofa, providing a compact sleeping space for your child. If you are travelling by car, you could bring a car seat that reclines, allowing your child to nap comfortably while on the go.
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Sharing a bed
When travelling with a 1-year-old, sharing a bed can be a convenient and comfortable option for both the child and the caregiver. Here are some tips and considerations for making shared sleeping arrangements safe and comfortable:
Safety First:
The safety of your child should always come first. When sharing a bed with your 1-year-old, ensure that the sleeping surface is firm and clear of any soft or fluffy bedding, such as pillows, quilts, or blankets. These items can increase the risk of suffocation or entrapment. Instead, opt for a thin and well-fitted sheet, and consider dressing your child in a sleeper or sleep sack to keep them warm. Make sure the bed is pushed against a wall to prevent your child from rolling off, and avoid sharing a bed with your child if you've been drinking alcohol or are under the influence of any substances that may impair your awareness.
Creating a Comfortable Space:
Make sure the bed is large enough for both you and your child to sleep comfortably. If space is limited, consider using a
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Adjusting to time zones
Travelling across time zones can be challenging for both children and adults. Here are some tips to help your one-year-old adjust to a new time zone while travelling:
Plan Ahead
If you know you will be crossing more than three time zones, consider taking a night flight. This way, your child can sleep during the flight and arrive well-rested. If possible, start adjusting your child's sleep schedule before your trip. Gradually shift their meal times and naps by 30 minutes each day to align with the time zone of your destination.
Stick to Familiar Routines
Consistency in bedtime routines is essential. Maintain your child's familiar bedtime routine as much as possible, even if bedtime is later or earlier than usual. This predictable series of events will cue your child that bedtime is approaching, despite the change in surroundings or schedule.
Control Light Exposure
Light plays a crucial role in regulating our body's internal clock. When travelling east, expose your child to morning sunlight shortly after they wake up to advance their body clock and prepare for an earlier bedtime. When travelling west, aim for sunlight exposure in the early evening to delay their internal clock and accommodate a later bedtime. During the early morning hours and sleep times, keep your child's sleep space as dark as possible to promote better sleep and aid in adjusting to the new time zone.
Adapt to the Local Time
As soon as you arrive at your destination, start operating on local time. Feed your child and put them down for naps according to the local time, even if it differs from their usual schedule. This approach will help your child adjust to the local time more quickly.
Be Flexible and Adaptable
Remember that adjusting to a new time zone takes time, and it may take a few days for your child to settle into a new sleep pattern. Be prepared to adapt your strategies and routines as needed to support your child's unique needs in a new environment.
Travelling with a one-year-old can be challenging, but with flexibility and patience, you can help them adjust to new time zones and create memorable experiences together.
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Blackout options
Travelling with a one-year-old baby or toddler can be challenging, especially when it comes to sleep. A familiar bedtime routine is important to cue your baby's brain that it's time to sleep. If you usually give your baby a bath, a massage, dress them in pajamas, feed them, and then read a book, continue to do that while you travel. Consistency is key!
If your baby is accustomed to sleeping in their own space at home, you will want to try to continue this while travelling. If you're staying at a hotel, book a room with a separate living area or attached room. If that's not possible, a room with a pull-out sofa or a king bed room that includes a sofa bed can also work.
Now, let's discuss blackout options to help your baby sleep when travelling:
Portable Blackout Blinds and Curtains
Portable blackout blinds and curtains can be extremely useful when travelling with a baby. They can help block out light in your hotel room or wherever you're staying, creating a darker environment that may be more conducive to sleep. The Tommee Tippee Sleeptime Portable Blackout Blind folds down easily into a compact travel bag, making it convenient for travel. The Sleepout Portable Blackout Curtain 2.0 is another option if you need complete darkness. Alternatively, you can find travel blackout curtains with suction cups that attach directly to windows. These options are lightweight and easy to pack, making them ideal for travel.
Travel Cribs with Blackout Covers
Some travel cribs come with blackout covers or you can purchase them separately. The Guava Lotus Travel Crib, for example, has a large side zipper opening that allows for easy access. However, some parents have expressed concerns about the safety of blackout covers, as they may increase the temperature inside the crib. One study found that the temperature increase exceeded 100°F when various covers, including breathable ones, were placed over strollers and sleep containers.
Other Considerations
When choosing a blackout option for your one-year-old's sleep while travelling, it's important to consider the safety and comfort of your child. Ensure that the product is lightweight and easy to pack, as you don't want it to be bulky and cumbersome during your travels. Additionally, be mindful of the temperature inside the crib or sleeping area, especially if using a blackout cover. A white noise machine can also help create a soothing environment for your baby to sleep, blocking out any distracting noises in a new environment.
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Frequently asked questions
If your 1-year-old sleeps in a crib, you could consider purchasing a travel crib, such as a KidCo PeaPod or a Guava Lotus travel crib, which has no weight limit. Alternatively, if you are staying in a hotel, you could book a room with a pull-out sofa bed, or a separate living area or attached room. If you are staying with friends or family, you could ask about separate room accommodations.
It is important to try to maintain your baby's sleep schedule and bedtime routine while travelling. If your baby is under 5 months old, watch for sleepy cues to prevent overtiredness. If your baby is taking more than one nap a day, try to schedule one nap at your accommodation. If your baby is accustomed to sleeping in their own space, try to continue this while travelling. You can also help your baby sleep by bringing familiar items, such as their swaddle or sleep sack, lovey or comfort item, pillow or blanket, and bedtime books.
If the time zone difference is 1-3 hours or if your trip is only a couple of days, it is recommended to keep your baby on your home time zone. If the time change is significant or if you will be away for several days, use light to help your baby adjust to the local time. During your baby's awake time, expose them to as much daylight or bright indoor light as possible. During sleep times, keep your baby's sleep space as dark as possible.
