Will my child sleep on holiday?!
26th May 2023
Holiday season is approaching and for many with small children it can bring up anxieties about sleep; how and where will they nap? What if they don’t like their room and wake all night? Will i get a break in the evening? Will it ruin sleep once i get back?
I discovered on my first holiday with my twins that actually its less 'holiday' and more just parenting in a different place with less of your own stuff around.
That being said, I discovered there are ways to make your life easier when you go away and you really can allow yourself to enjoy it more by letting go of the things you just can’t control.
So here’s my top tips:
1: Relax the rules a bit!
Sleep won't be perfect (is it ever?!) so try not to obsess about it. If they need to nap, try to incorporate it into a journey or some downtime between activities. Bedtimes may push later - see how it goes, if your little one doesn't cope well, allow them an early night to catch up.
2: Take some home comforts to help your little one settle.
Their sleep bag, comforter (if age appropriate), white noise, travel black out blind, familiar stories. These will provide the reassurance of familiarity whilst also helping to drown out any unexpected noise / light that your temporary sleep environment may present you with.
3: Follow your normal bedtime routine.
Bedtime may be in a different place but you can adapt your routine to let them know that sleep is nearing. Steps such as a wash, stories, song can be done anywhere. You can skip a couple of steps if they’re super tired and ready for bed; just gauge how sleepy they seem at bedtime.
4: Create a divide!
If they’re used to their own room at home and you find yourself sharing a room when you’re away, see if you can create a barrier between yourself and the cot! Use a clothes horse with a sheet or blanket across it. Get some chairs and line them between you. It’ll help shield a bit of your noise to prevent waking them and also reduce the excitement for your baby seeing their mummy and daddy.
Ultimately, when you get home from your holiday, you can get back on track again with sleep. You may have a little settling in period again where they adjust back to normality but be consistent with your approach and they’ll slot back into every day life again. OR, if sleep wasn't really very much on track to begin with its the perfect time to put in place some changes!
If you want to make improvements to sleep before you go - i recommend giving yourself 3 to 4 weeks lead time. Any less and you're at risk of causing extra disruption without results.
Get in touch if you're ready to make some positive changes or need help settling back in to a routine once back from your break away!
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