Sleep Survival

1. 1. Your Baby’s Travel Sleep Plan

Keep the routine the same: Bath → PJs → feed → book → bed.

Create a sleep bubble: Dark, cosy, familiar. Use blackout blinds, white noise, and a sheet from

home.

Tip- Use motion naps wisely: Pram, carrier, car.

2. Bridging Naps While Travelling

Travelling often leads to short naps or overtiredness. Bridging naps help smooth the day and prevent meltdowns.

What is a bridging nap? A short, intentional nap (10-15 minutes) used to take the edge offwhen your baby is tired too early or struggling to reach their next nap or bedtime.

When to use one:

▪ After a short or disrupted nap

▪ When travel overstimulation leads to early tiredness

▪ When time zones shift sleep windows

▪ When you need to stretch your baby gently to a more appropriate bedtime

How to do it:

▪ Use motion: pram, carrier, or car

▪ Keep it short: 10-15 minutes max

▪ Wake gently with natural light or soft noise

Why it works: A bridging nap resets your baby’s mood and nervous system without pushing bedtime too late.

4. Flying With a Baby

Take-off/landing: Feed/ Use dummy to help with ear pressure.

During the flight: Walk the aisle, use motion naps, stay calm.

Pro tip: Choose flights that align with nap times when possible.

5. Setting Up the Sleep Space

Where to put the cot: Away from doors and windows.

Make it familiar: Bring your own fitted sheet, use white noise, dim lights.

Bonus: Create a mini room using blackout blinds or a travel cot cover [SnoozeShade do a travel cot black out cover and you can get 10% off using code ‘Snoozyhead’.]

6. Time Zones Without Tears

Short trips (<3 days): Stay on home time.

Longer trips: Shift bedtime by 15-30 minutes daily.

Get outside early: Sunlight resets the body clock.

Flexible naps: Not chaotic.

7. Regulating Your Baby Before Sleep

Help them wind down with:

▪ Dim lights

▪ Slow rocking

▪ Gentle shushing

▪ Skin-to-skin

▪ A warm bath

A regulated baby sleeps better anywhere.

8. Night Wakings: What’s Normal

New places = new sensations. Night wakings may increase temporarily.

Respond calmly, keep lights low, avoid creating new habits.

9. The Golden Rule: Flexibility Over Perfection

Travel sleep isn’t perfect - and it doesn’t need to be.

A few messy days won’t undo your baby’s sleep foundations.

Everything resets once you’re home.

BONUS TIP: If you are looking to have later evenings on holiday build in an extra nap to push bedtime later OR do your bedtime routine and then put your baby to bed in their pram so you can all head out. When you are all back to your room, pick them up , do a quick feed and pop them down in their sleep space.

Packing Checklist

1.Sleep Environment Essentials

• Portable blackout (Tommee Tippee travel stick up black out blinds, SnoozeShade Pram black out cover, SnoozeShade Travel cot black out cover)

• White noise machine or app

• Familiar sleep cues (comforter, sleeping bag, favourite book)

• Travel cot or safe sleep space - Call ahead to your hotel and see if they can provide this

• Fitted sheet that smells like home

• Room thermometer

• Warm‑tone night light

• Video monitor

  Top Tip: You can use ‘Snoozyhead’ to get 10% off all black out products at www.snoozeshade.com

  2.Clothing & Temperature

• 0.5–1.0 tog sleeping bags (You may need to pack a 2.5 tog if the A.C will make the room cooler than normal)

• Breathable pyjamas

• Extra layers for cooler nights

• Spare sleeping bag

• Muslins for shade + airflow

3. Travel Day Toolkit

• Pram fan (for hot climates)

• Pram sunshade (SnoozeShade)

• Snacks + milk feeds prepped

• Change of clothes

• Nappy essentials

• Carrier for contact naps

• Dummy + spares (if used)

• Small toy for overtired moments

• Just in case" pouch (meds, thermometer, spare dummy)

4. Nap‑On‑The‑Go Support

• Travel Pram with good recline

• Snooze shade

• Carrier for motion naps

• Portable White noise machine (e,g DreamEgg)

• A simple “nap window” plan for travel days

5. Health & Comfort

• Baby‑safe insect repellent + Sun cream

• Teething gel / pain relief

• Saline spray + snot sucker

• Any regular medications

• Thermometer

• Hydration plan for hot climates

• Antihistamines

• Calpol plug + Snuffle Rub

• Sudocrem/Vaseline/ Aloe Vera gel

6. Accommodation Setup

• Check room layout for safe sleep space

• Position cot away from windows / AC

• Create a “dark corner” with blackout

• Set up white noise before bedtime

• Mini wind‑down routine on night one

• Keep bedtime cues identical to home

7. Documents & Admin

• Passports

• EHIC/GHIC card

• Travel insurance

• Any medical letters

• Emergency contact list

• Routine screenshot saved to phone

8. Optional but Helpful

• Portable playpen

• Travel highchair

• UV tent for beach nap

• Small plug‑in fan

• Beach/Pool Toys

BONUS TIP: Pack a spare set of clothes, extra nappies and pain relief in your hand luggage in case of any delays or lost luggage dilemmas.