How to Keep Kids On Sleep Schedules During Summer Travel
Summer is a time to enjoy, with a lot of resting, traveling, and everything in between. However, for some parents, it can also mean a time of stress, especially if you’ve just gotten your child on a routine and they’re sleeping well!
It’s essential to find a balance so you can live your life but not let sleep take a back seat to travel or simply longer summer days. But you must live your life, so never fear!
Travel & summer tips are here!
Travel Tips
- Practice the 80/20 rule
This is where 80% of the week, you are following their regular schedule, and 20% of the week, you throw all of that out the window AND HAVE FUN!! A few days won’t undo the hard work you’ve put into your little one’s sleep.
- Start the trip around their nap schedule
If your little one is still napping, consider starting your trip around when they are due for a nap. They might be too excited to sleep, but they’re at least working towards their schedule.
- Bring familiar items from home
This could be blackout curtains, travel sound machines, comfort items, etc. A trick I like is bringing travel blackout curtains or plain aluminum foil (it’s not cute, but it does the trick and is cost-effective).
- Their own sleep space
As a military family, we travel a lot, and something that has lasted me YEARS is the Room2 Playard by joovy. It’s my must-have whenever we travel.
- Schedule Adjustment
It’s hard to always stick to a schedule, but it’s sometimes needed so the kids don’t get overtired. We know an overtired child can make things a little more difficult…..
- If you know you’ll miss their nap time, consider waking them up later in the morning to make up for the nap they’ll miss.
- If you know they’ll miss at least one nap, consider extending the nap they are taking.
- If your little one misses all naps, you’ll want to consider an earlier bedtime to make up for the missed ones.
- Routine
If naps are just not happening (and that’s ok!), at least stick with your bedtime routine at home so that there’s still familiarity.
Summer Days
The days are longer in the Summer, and eventually, they notice that the sun is still out when they go to sleep (they might even comment about it).
- Get Active
For summer days, I encourage parents to keep their kids active (especially in the afternoon). With the sun still out, the melatonin drive might take longer to kick in because part of how it starts to be produced is in darkness. In this case, keeping them active during the afternoon will begin to wear them out, getting their body ready for sleep (even if the sun is still out).
- Use Black Out Curtains or Make Room Dark
You’ll also want to keep their room pitch black and put a nightlight with a red bulb if they’re older and afraid of the dark.
I hope these tips help you and your little one navigate summer days and travel.
Need somewhere to start? You can always grab a copy of my travel guide, and I invite you to follow me on Instagram @littleonessleepsociety or send me an email at littleonessleep@gmail.com
