Herbie Murray
Travelling with a three-year-old can be challenging, especially when it comes to their sleep. It is important to consider the safety and comfort of your child, as well as your own convenience. While some parents opt for portable cribs or travel cots, others prefer to book hotel rooms with sofa beds or extra space for their children to sleep separately. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and creating a familiar sleep environment can also help your child sleep better while travelling. Additionally, bringing familiar items such as comfort toys, pillows, blankets, and bedtime books can make your child feel more secure.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep setup | Depends on the child's personality. For example, an independent child may need a quiet and separate place to sleep, while a child who likes closeness may be happy to sleep near a parent. |
| Bedtime routine | Try to stick to your child's bedtime routine and body clock as much as possible. |
| Sleep environment | Try to make the sleep environment similar to the one at home, including bringing familiar items such as a lovey or comfort item, pillow, blanket, or bedtime books. |
| Light | Use blackout blinds or curtains to make the room dark, as total darkness can help your child sleep better. |
| Noise | Bring a white noise machine if your child is used to sleeping with white noise at home. |
| Nap schedule | Try to stick to your child's nap schedule as much as possible, and consider planning activities around their nap times. |
| Bed-sharing | If you are comfortable with bed-sharing, you can bring bed rails to prevent your child from rolling out of bed. |
| Travel cribs | Consider purchasing a travel crib or portable folding crib if your child is too big for a standard crib or pack-n-play. |
| Hotel accommodations | Book a hotel room with a separate living area or attached room, or look for hotels with sofa beds or rooms with multiple beds. |
| Sleep training | Consider sleep training before your trip to help your child sleep better in a new place. |
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What You'll Learn
Sleep training before a trip
Sleep training a three-year-old can be challenging, especially before a trip. At this age, children have likely developed habits that impact their sleep, but it is not too late to teach them independent sleep skills. Here are some tips for sleep training your three-year-old before your trip:
Start with Preparation
Before beginning any official sleep training, it is essential to prepare your child for the upcoming changes. Talk to your child a few days in advance about the new sleep routine they will be following during the trip. Keep the conversation simple and positive, explaining that everyone will sleep in their own beds and that you will help them learn to sleep independently. You can also involve them in creating sleep rules, such as "stay in bed all night" or "wait for the green light on your clock before getting up." This transition may be easier if you have already established consistent routines and expectations around sleep.
Create a Familiar Environment
When travelling, try to replicate your child's sleep environment from home as much as possible. Bring items such as their favourite bedtime books, comfort toys, pillows, blankets, or sleep sacks. If your child uses a toddler clock or a night light, make sure to pack those as well. Maintaining familiarity can help your child feel more secure and comfortable in a new place.
Stick to Their Body Clock
While on your trip, try to honour your child's body clock by sticking close to their usual bedtime. If your child usually goes to bed at 7 pm, aim for a bedtime around that time, knowing that it may need to be adjusted slightly based on their nap schedule or any jet lag. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule will help regulate their body clock and improve the quality of their sleep.
Manage the Sleep Space
To promote better sleep while travelling, consider ways to manage your child's sleep space. Bring items such as foil and painter's tape to cover windows and create a darker room. If your child uses white noise at home, try to replicate that with a portable white noise machine or a phone app. A comfortable and familiar sleep environment can help your child fall asleep more easily.
Be Patient and Consistent
Sleep training a three-year-old requires patience and consistency. Older toddlers may protest changes more than younger children, so it is essential to approach sleep training gently and respectfully. Be prepared to offer verbal and physical reassurance as needed. Understand that setbacks may occur, and it may take a few weeks for your child to fully adjust to their new sleep routine.
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Maintaining a sleep schedule
Prepare in Advance
If you are travelling through multiple time zones or on a long trip, it is beneficial to help your child adjust to the new time zone gradually. This can be done by controlling their exposure to light, as light plays a significant role in setting our circadian rhythm. Before your trip, you can start shifting their schedule by adjusting meals and naps 30 minutes later each day. This gradual approach can make it easier for your child to adapt to the new time zone when you arrive at your destination.
Stick to a Consistent Bedtime
Try to stick within an hour of your toddler's usual bedtime. If they usually go to bed at 7 pm, be flexible and aim for a bedtime between 7 pm and 8 pm while travelling. This consistency will help maintain their internal clock and minimize disruptions to their sleep schedule.
Create a Familiar Sleep Environment
Bringing familiar comfort items, such as their favourite blanket, lovey, or pillow, can make a new sleeping space feel safer and more familiar. If your child uses a toddler clock or has a bedtime reading routine, continue these practices while travelling. Maintaining the same sleep boundaries and routines will help your child recognize that their sleep expectations remain the same, even in a new place.
Manage Light and Darkness
When adjusting to a new time zone, light manipulation is crucial. If your child wakes up overnight, keep them in a dark space and allow them to engage in quiet play. You can use blackout solutions, such as foil and painter's tape over windows, or portable blackout blinds that you can suction cup to the window. Darkness promotes the production of melatonin, which helps regulate sleep.
Balance Late Nights and Early Nights
It is essential to avoid overtiredness, as it can make it harder for your child to fall and stay asleep. Balance late nights with early nights to minimize exhaustion. If your child is accustomed to napping, aim for consistent nap times during the day, and if they miss a nap, consider an early bedtime to prevent overtiredness.
Adapt to Time Zone Changes
If you are travelling westward, it may be easier to keep them awake until their typical bedtime in the new time zone. However, they may wake up as early as 4 or 5 am biologically, so keep them in a dark sleep space until a reasonable hour, such as 6 am, and then start your day. For eastward travel, it is often better to keep them on their body clock from home, especially if you are visiting countries with later schedules, such as Spain or Greece.
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Creating a familiar environment
Travelling with a three-year-old can be an exciting adventure, but it can also be challenging when it comes to their sleep. Creating a familiar environment can help your child feel safe and secure, and hopefully get some quality sleep while you are away from home.
Firstly, if your child is used to sleeping in their own space, try to continue this while travelling. If you are staying in a hotel, book a room with a separate living area or attached room, or a room with a sofa bed. If you have more than one child, consider booking a room with two queen or double beds, so each child has their own bed. If you are renting a house, you could set up a pack and play in one room and a blow-up bed in another, so you have options.
Secondly, bring familiar items from home. If your child wears a swaddle or sleep sack, or sleeps with a pillow, blanket, or comfort item, make sure you pack these. If they use a toddler clock, bring that too, so they can see that the same sleep expectations apply when travelling. You could also bring their favourite bedtime books to help them feel more at home.
Thirdly, stick to their usual bedtime routine as much as possible. A familiar series of events will cue your child's brain that it is time to sleep, even if the surroundings are different. If your child usually has a bath, gets dressed in pyjamas, and has a feed and a story before bed, continue to do this while travelling.
Finally, try to stick to their usual bedtime. Honour their body clock by staying within an hour of their usual bedtime. If your child is still following an awake window schedule, base their bedtime on those awake windows. If they usually go to bed at 7 pm, try to stick to this, knowing it may go as late as 8 pm. If your child missed their nap, do an early bedtime to avoid overtiredness.
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Using blackout options
Travelling with a three-year-old can be challenging, especially when it comes to sleep. A sleep-trained child who is a good sleeper at home will likely sleep better when away from home. However, it is important to remember that each child is unique, and some may find it harder to adjust to new places.
One way to create a familiar sleep environment for your child when travelling is to use blackout options. If your child sleeps best in blackout conditions, the SlumberPod is a popular choice. It is a blackout sleep tent for babies and toddlers that can fit over a mini-crib, pack 'n play, and several toddler cots, providing instant darkness. It also creates a sense of separation, which can be beneficial if you are all sharing the same hotel room.
Another option is to use portable blackout blinds or curtains, such as the Tommee Tippee Sleeptime Portable Blackout Blind or The Sleepout Portable Blackout Curtain 2.0. These can be easily attached to windows with suction cups, providing a darkened room for your child to sleep in.
If you are looking for a more affordable and compact solution, consider the KidCo PeaPod. It works like a tiny popup tent with a thin mattress at the bottom and takes up much less space than traditional travel cribs.
For road trips or air travel, an inflatable toddler travel bed can be a good option. The Hiccapop Inflatable Toddler Travel Bed is an affordable choice, but it is bulkier to pack.
When using blackout options, it is also important to maintain your child's sleep schedule as much as possible. Stick to their usual bedtime, and if they miss their nap or have shorter naps during the day, consider an early bedtime to avoid overtiredness.
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Choosing a travel crib
When travelling with a three-year-old, there are several options for where they can sleep. Many parents opt for travel cribs, which are compact, lightweight, and easy to set up and break down. Some popular travel cribs include:
- Silver Cross Sleep & Go Travel Crib: This crib functions as both a travel crib and a bassinet, providing a safe sleep space for newborns and older babies. It also offers a spacious and sturdy play area and is easy to carry. It has excellent portability, effectiveness, features, design, and value for money.
- Guava Lotus Travel Crib: This crib is known for its sturdiness and has a waterproof mattress. It can be worn as a backpack, providing hands-free convenience. While it does not include a bassinet, the Crib-to-Bassinet Conversion Kit is available as an add-on.
- BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light: This crib is one of the easiest to set up and use, making it a convenient option for travel.
- Munchkin Brica Fold 'n Go Baby Travel Pod: This option is ideal for newborns and younger babies who are not yet rolling over. It lays flat on the ground and can be quickly set up on a picnic blanket or beach towel. It received high marks for ease of use.
- Pamo Baby Travel Crib: This crib folds into a small package, making it convenient for travel. It is also one of the most inexpensive options available. However, it does not have the most intuitive setup, and the centre of the crib floor must be raised to lock the side rails.
When choosing a travel crib, consider factors such as safety, portability, size, and weight. Additionally, think about the personality and sleep preferences of your child. Some children may prefer a quiet and separate space, while others may be comfortable sleeping near their parents. If your child is a confident and independent sleeper at home, they may adjust more easily to sleeping in a new place.
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Frequently asked questions
There are a few options for where your three-year-old can sleep when travelling. You could book a room with a separate living area or attached room, or a room with a sofa bed. Alternatively, you could bring a travel crib, such as a KidCo PeaPod, which is compact and works like a pop-up tent. If your child is too big for a travel crib, you could purchase a guava lotus travel crib, which has no weight limit, or a sleeping tent with an inflatable mattress.
It is important to try and stick to your child's usual bedtime routine and body clock when travelling. You should also try to make your child's sleep space feel similar to when they are at home, for example, by bringing their pillow, blanket, or comfort item. If your child is taking more than one nap a day, aim for one of these to be at the hotel.
Children who are already confident and independent sleepers at home tend to sleep better in a new place. Therefore, if you have a few weeks before your trip, you may want to consider sleep training.
