5 Ways to Reset Sleep After Travels
Traveling with babies can be so magical. Watching your kids experience a new place for the first time is one of my favorite things! However, traveling can also cause some disruptions in sleep. Time zone changes, new sleep environment, on-the-go naps that last 20 minutes, all of it can add up to throw off sleep. The good news is this is totally normal and nothing to stress about! Do your best to help your baby get good sleep while on vacation, but if their sleep gets off track, it’s okay. Here are five things you can do to help reset your baby’s sleep after traveling.
Early bedtime. If you’ve been here a while, you know early bedtime is one of my very favorite tools to help with sleep problems. Night sleep is more restorative than day sleep, so grabbing extra sleep when you can at the beginning of the night can make a huge difference! If your baby’s sleep has been all over the place, plan for a bedtime no later than 6:30 pm (or earlier!) for the first 3 nights you are back at home. This will help your baby feel well-rested quickly, which will help all of the other sleep patterns fall back into place.
Aim for consistent naps. I’m talking, fully loaded with a naptime routine, blacked-out room, sound machine, and sleep sack. Your baby likely napped on the go or even skipped a few naps altogether while traveling, so now is the time to start restoring those long, predictable naps again.
Spend time outside or in the sunlight in the morning. This tip can be especially helpful if you were in a different time zone and your baby is now waking up significantly earlier or later than their typical wake time. Exposing them to sunlight early in the day can help reset their circadian rhythm so they are in sync with your time zone.
Give your baby space and time before responding to night wakings. Because sleep was a little bit off, it might take a few nights to adjust. Instead of jumping up at the first sign of a night waking and offering a feed (like we often do while traveling!), give your baby 5-10 minutes first so they can start getting themselves back into another sleep cycle on their own.
Give it time. Like with most things related to baby sleep, adjustments can take time. Give your baby some consistency for the next week or so. After they are back to their typical sleep habits, it’s okay to allow flexibility to come back in. However, do your best to stay consistent for a week, be patient, and let their body adjust back to their normal sleep habits.
Hopefully, these 5 tips will help reduce the stress of your travels, knowing that when you’re back home, you can very easily go right back to sleeping:)