Holidays / Travelling and Sleep

I thought this would be an apt blog to share with you guys as we just made a huge move from the UK to New Zealand with the boys who were just 13 and 25 months and with a lot of countries opening back up for holidays post lockdown, this will lead to an increase in families going away. Needless to say I was full of nerves about the travelling and the boys sleep as we had such good routines which I didn't want to upset it. Not only that but we had worked so hard to get to where we were at with our bedtimes and its something that has made my life easier since sleep training the boys. Firstly- it wasn't as bad as I anticipated and they soon got back into the swing of things. The night before we left we stayed in an airport hotel with only one travel cot so it meant Albie (2) got the single bed- knowing he wasn't old enough to understand the concept of staying in bed I was prepped for little sleep ahead. As predicted both boys were up a couple of times in the night, surprisingly Albie only when he physically rolled off of the bed as there were no bars to hold him in, Marlie was very unsettled from 2am and I think this was down to all the change we had been through in the week up to the big move. The airport was a challenge, COVID rules, two tired boys and two tired parents meant only one thing- HEATED!! We made it onto the plane (somehow without killing each other) and the next 24 hours I can only explain as a blur, the boys did fantastic they slept across chairs, Marlie had a clip on cot or had contact naps. They both really smashed it and I was very proud. Into MIQ we went for 2 weeks quarantine in a Hotel in Auckland, luckily this time 2 travel cots but all of us in one room. We had taken with us the boys regular bed time books, sheets and pillowcases/comforters so they smelt like home, along with their white noise box to make the transition easier and as 'home' like as possible. The first couple of nights were interesting for us all- jet lag, new country, no going home, hotel room for 2 weeks with food left outside the door in brown bags but again the boys took it all in their stride and made me realise I worried more than I needed too. The prep we had done in taking as much as we could to make their sleep environment as much like 'home' as possible had paid off, along with keeping to our normal routines as much as we could. So here's a few tips for you if you have any trips coming up or just to keep in mind for future: (I would recommend waiting around 3 weeks after sleep training your little one before going away to make sure they're fully underway and comfortable with their new routines.) * Take as much as you can from home like bedding, books, bath toys, white noise, comforters etc. Unwashed so they have that familiar smell would be ideal. * We took along black out blinds to enable them to have a nice dark sleep environment, blocking out any natural light that might disturb them. Can also get pram shades for the day time on holiday. * Its ideal if you can create 2 separate sleep places when you get to your destination so that all parties can have a better night sleep. If like us you are all in one room then if possible create a space that is furthest away from your bed to minimise distractions / stop your little one from waking up, seeing you and wanting to get up straight away. * Evening entertainment is often the highlight of many holidays, which often means later nights. Smaller children / babies can often sleep through lots of noise so taking a pram, reclining it so they can sleep and having a cover handy might just do the trick. However this might not work for all children especially as they get older and get FOMO, in these cases its about finding what works for you. You could roll with it, its only a holiday, not an every day situation and get back into the swing when you're back home. If it's really not working for you the you could try one of the following- not going out every night, taking it in turns to sit in the hotel room with the children, or finding a time that you can all agree on that's not too early or too late. * In regards to jet lag and time zone differences, children often adapt well, unless really young they will associate the dark of night time with sleep and day light as awake time. So its not really worth getting too worked up over it as they will likely adapt a lot easier then us adults! The main thing is- relax and enjoy. If you have sleepers then a week or two out isn't going to undo any hard work, just get back into routine as soon as you're home. Keep any bedtime routines in place if possible or just shorten them a little to keep that familiarity. If you are anything like me who found the whole concept of going away a bit daunting then by letting go of the reigns a little will mean you get a more enjoyable experience yourself and a happy mummy is the best type :) .