Traveling with your family is an exciting adventure, but adding the complexities of time zone changes into the mix can be a bit daunting. To make sure you stay sane, follow these 7 helpful tips.
We’ve been on over 26 flights with our baby and crossed 12 different time zones as a family.
These are our seven tips on helping our baby get over jet lag and staying sane when traveling.
If you’re reading this post before booking a trip or because you’re anxious about an upcoming journey, let me tell you, it’s worth it.
If you’re desperately scrolling for a quick solution at 3 am, I’m sorry to tell you there is no magic solution to baby jet lag. It will get better! Our baby typically has three wacky nights before settling into his new rhythm. While those three nights may seem like an eternity right now, trust me, your baby’s sleep will be back to normal before too long. You’ve got this!
Too Long, Didn’t Read – Summary
Short on time? Whether you’re reading this post at home or desperately scrolling through at 3 am – I got you. Here’s a short and sweet version of the blog post.
- Stick to a Routine
- Create a routine at home that works everywhere. Using the same lotion, music, and going through the same patterns helps your baby understand it’s time to sleep (and stay asleep!)
- Don’t look at the clock
- Wacky sleep patterns are perfectly normal when traveling with kids. Even without huge time zone differences! Instead of sticking to a rigid schedule, follow your child’s sleepy cues and allow them to nap as needed.
- Get Outside
- Exposing yourself to natural light, light exercise, and reducing your time spent underneath artificial lights can help relieve the effects of jet lag. Use curtains to signal to your baby (and your brain) that it’s time to wake up or go to sleep.
- Take Time to Relax
- Travel days are stressful. Stress is exhausting! Plus, your baby is almost guaranteed to have a wacky sleep schedule for the first couple of days. Avoid planning stressful, physically, or mentally demanding trips for the first couple of days on vacation.
- Sleep when the Baby Sleeps
- Hear me out – it’s worth it. Your baby will be sleeping in a very odd schedule for the first couple of days. Lean into it and sleep when the baby sleeps. This will make the 3 am wake-up calls much easier to handle.
- Book Convenient Flights
- Although no flight time will ever prevent jet lag, you can make it easier on yourself by booking a flight that works with your schedule. We personally love red-eye flights, as it helps our baby adjust to a new time zone quickly and keeps him quiet on the plane!
- Radical Acceptance
- If all else fails, make the most of it. Your baby will be back on their regular schedule before you know it. Use early morning wake-ups to go on sunrise hikes and late nights to enjoy dessert at a restaurant. Accepting the craziness of traveling with young kids gives you room to start enjoying it.
Stick to a Routine
Routines are a parent’s best friend! Almost. Creating a routine that works for you at home and when traveling is the best hack for staying sane when traveling.
Night-time routines are great for the whole family. We tend to feel drained, tired, and annoyed by the end of the day. That’s why our routine has set roles for both parents – there’s no need for a discussion about who is up with bathtime or which parent is in charge or the dishes.
Our baby has had the exact same routine for going to bed since he was born. The only difference? It works now.
We adjust the timing of our routine according to the baby’s needs. If he’s giving us tired signals at 6 pm, we’ll start the evening routine then. If he seems awake and peppy at 7, we’ll get outside for some wild play before starting our routine.
Don’t Look at the Clock
It’s been ingrained in us for years – keeping track of time. Nothing will show you how relative (and pointless) time is then dealing with a jetlagged baby. Your baby does not care that it’s 3 am – they want to play.
Night waking, fussiness, wacky nap patterns, and other patterns of sleep disruption are totally normal for babies (and toddlers) when adjusting to a new environment, processing a stressful travel day, or switching time zones.
We’ve found that changing the narrative around wacky sleep patterns changes everything. Instead of complaining that our baby is up at 3 am, we order a kebab and have a family midnight snack!
We don’t pay attention to the actual time for the first three days either. If this means our entire family sleeps until noon and is up until three, so be it. We’ll adjust soon enough, and in the meantime, we can catch some zzzs.
Another aspect of not looking at the clock is following your baby’s sleepy cues instead of times. We don’t follow nap or wake schedules—we observe our baby and follow his sleepy cues, especially when adjusting to dramatic time zone changes! If he’s rubbing his eyes, yawning, asking for the pacifier, and lying down, it’s time for a nap—even if it’s only 9 a.m.
Get Outside
Exposing yourself and your baby to natural light every day is important for both you and your baby to combat the effects of jet lag. Spending time outside is one of the best ways to combat the effects of jetlag when traveling.
In addition to sunrise (or sunset) strolls along the beach, spending time outside has been proven to help children (and adults) adjust to new time zones better, avoiding the negative effects of jet lag.
Open and close the curtains in your bedroom to allow natural light into the room – but only when you want your baby to be awake!
Utilizing natural light will help signal your brain that it’s time to wake up, and closing the curtains signals that its time to sleep.
Try to avoid using artificial lights too much during the evening, as these can confuse your already confused brain!
Take Time to Relax
Travel days can be long and exhausting for both parents and babies. Plan for two to three days of relaxation after a travel day, giving you and your family time to adjust to the new surroundings.
You can still leave the hotel – just try to schedule any challenging hikes, all-day excursions, or other strenuous activities for later in your trip. I like to leave these days flexible. We never know how we’ll sleep, so I prepare a couple of different options for us to choose from.
Sleep When the Baby Sleeps
One of the most annoying pieces of advice given to new parents applies to parents in new time zones as well.
Most travel gurus and advice forums advise against napping on travel days.
This rule does not apply to parents traveling with their babies. Why? Because the parents of a baby are exhausted before they even get on that plane!
Your baby will experience a rough adjustment period following a time zone change. Sleep-trained babies will no longer sleep through the night, and your champion napper may drop a nap or only sleep for contact naps.
Sleeping when the baby sleeps maximizes the rest you get during the adjustment period and helps parents stay calm for mid-night wake phases. Trust me, everything’s better when you’re well-rested. Or at least rested.
Book Convenient Flights
While I am no fan of booking a flight simply because it fits in with your baby’s nap schedule, there are flight times that work better (and worse) for each family.
In our personal experience, red-eyes are great. Our velcro baby sleeps through the night and arrives at our destination bright-eyed and ready to go.
On the other hand, his parents get a couple of hours of shut-eye (at the most) and need buckets of coffee to make it to 7 pm, when our baby goes to bed.
Still, I’d much rather have tired and cranky parents than a tired baby!
Other families we’ve talked to hate red-eyes; they feel too pressured to keep their baby quiet and remain in their seats. It’s a question of personal preference, and individual baby sleep needs.
Another great time for us to arrive is late in the evening. This does mean a slightly more stressful travel day, as we have to entertain the baby in the plane. However, we can go straight to bed after arriving at our destination.
For our best tips on keeping baby entertained and quiet on a long-haul flight, see my article on Our Favorite Airplane Toys.
Radical Acceptance
Radical acceptance is my number one travel tip for parents traveling with babies. You’d be surprised how helpful a strategy it can be! Instead of getting annoyed by our baby refusing to stick to a sleep schedule, or getting stressed out by 3 am wake-up calls, we accept the craziness that is traveling with a baby.
By accepting the wackiness, I mean working with it. Little one up at the crack of dawn? Go for a sunrise hike or grab something tasty from a cafe. Little one refusing to go down at night? Grab a glass of wine from the restaurant around the corner, or watch the stars as a family.
Conclusion:
Dealing with time zone changes when traveling with a baby may seem daunting, and it is. However, remaining calm and making the most out of your baby’s wacky sleep schedule will help the whole family adjust to their new time zones rapidly.
Remember that every baby is unique, so adapting these tips to your child’s needs is essential!
Safe travels!
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