Your Baby's Sleep on Holiday: Tips for Success

Charlotte Evans
Aug 6
3 min read

Updated: Aug 9

Going on holiday should be a fun and exciting event to spend time together as a family, but as a parent of babies or young children, it can also come with anxiety around settling baby at bedtime and how they will sleep in a new environment.

Regardless of whether your baby normally sleeps well or not at home, it’s natural to worry about how your baby might sleep while you’re away.

When you’re on holiday, I wouldn’t recommend any kind of formal ‘sleep training’, as your baby will be in an unfamiliar environment and out of their routine, so any new methods you try are less likely to be successful. I know it’s easy to say, but when you’re on holiday, try to enjoy your time together as a family rather than worrying about your baby’s sleep habits. Whatever is happening with their sleep, you can work to resolve it when you get back home.

Having said that, there are some things you can do to give your baby the best chance of great sleep while you’re away:

Choose early morning flights

If you’re travelling abroad, try to find an early morning flight so you can get to your accommodation as early as possible in the day to settle in before thinking about bedtime

Take things from home

Familiar items for sleep such as a cuddly toy, slept in sleep suit and a slept in cot sheet can help your little one feel comfortable and familiar with the new sleep space

Time in their new bedroom

As much as possible, allow your baby to spend time in their new bedroom during the day so they become familiar with it before bedtime, for example for some indoor play during the hottest hours of the day, or for feeds.

Temperature of the room

Dress your baby for the temperature of the bedroom, not necessarily the temperature outside. If the aircon is on full blast all night your little one might actually get chilly. Take layers such as a vest, sleep suit and sleeping bag so you can choose the appropriate layers depending on the room temperature

Blackout and noise

Even if accommodation mentions blackout blinds, they might not actually block out all the light. Take your own travel blackout blind, frog/masking tape that doesn’t damage paintwork, and a white noise machine to block out any unfamiliar sounds in the room. This is especially important if you’re room sharing on holiday when you usually wouldn’t at home.

Consider room sharing options

If you’re room sharing with your baby, consider using white noise to help block out any unfamiliar noises (for you and the baby!). You may also need to consider getting your wash bag and sleep clothes ready before you put your baby to bed, so you aren’t crashing about int he dark tryin to find things when you’re ready to go to bed.

Get back on track afterwards

Remember, even if sleep isn’t that great on holiday or you want to work to improve it - try to enjoy your holiday and think about making improvements once you’re back in your usual routine and environment. That way you’re more likely to achieve long term success.

If you're worried about howe your baby might sleep in the heat, check out my other blog: How to mange sleep in a heatwave.