{"id":4590,"date":"2015-12-25T20:03:56","date_gmt":"2015-12-26T04:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/?p=4590"},"modified":"2016-02-07T21:04:16","modified_gmt":"2016-02-08T05:04:16","slug":"5-holiday-travel-baby-sleep-challenges-and-lifesaver-solutions-from-infant-and-toddler-sleep-expert-natalie-willes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/5-holiday-travel-baby-sleep-challenges-and-lifesaver-solutions-from-infant-and-toddler-sleep-expert-natalie-willes\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Holiday Travel Baby Sleep Challenges and Lifesaver Solutions from Infant and Toddler Sleep Expert Natalie Willes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SleepExpert01\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Traveling during the holidays can be strenuous enough without a baby – add a little one to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster! Trying to get from one family get-together to the next can wreak havoc on your baby\u2019s sleep schedule, leading to less sleep for everyone in the family.<\/p>\n

But, have no fear, your baby sleep travel tips are here! Read on to learn how to tackle the most common travel-related baby sleep issues including plane rides, road trips, time zones changes, family sleepovers, and hotel stays.<\/p>\n

1) Plane Travel<\/h2>\n

Plane travel is DEFCON 1 when traveling with children. Hold nothing back when it comes to helping your little one fall asleep on a plane. Keep in mind that baby may not be interested in sleeping at their normal sleep times when on a plane. In this case, revert to plan B and worry more about keeping your baby\u00a0happy, than about getting baby to fall asleep. If you\u00a0are\u00a0able to help lull your little one to sleep, congrats!<\/p>\n

Here are a few methods used to soothe baby to sleep:<\/h4>\n

Nursing or bottle feeding<\/strong><\/a> upon take-off can do the trick. You can also strap baby in to an airline-approved car seat<\/strong><\/a> with a pacifier<\/strong><\/a> or bottle<\/strong><\/a> while covering the car seat<\/strong><\/a> with a blanket<\/strong><\/a> to create a dark environment. Remember to leave a small crack for ventilation. Now go ahead and watch that movie<\/strong><\/a> you’ve been wanting to see since before you were pregnant!<\/p>\n

Once the plane lands and you make it to your destination with baby, you may find he slept most the plane ride – but now it’s bedtime and he’s wide awake when you arrive at your hotel. If you were lucky enough to have your babe slumber his way through the whole flight, fear not! As long as you give baby about 2-4 hours of wake time between landing and bedtime (depending on age – the older the baby, the longer the wake time), he should be able to go down for the night just fine.<\/strong> A late bedtime is perfectly okay after a long day of travel, provided the baby has had a substantial amount of sleep on the flight. Just be sure to follow the time zone tips below as you transition through your holiday vacation.<\/p>\n