When I was pregnant, people always told me to “sleep while I could.” And then after I had my son came my personal favorite - “sleep when the baby sleeps!”
Totally doable, right? Who needs to do laundry, shower, go to work, or - gasp! - have 5 minutes to yourself?
I’ll be totally honest - the first 6 months of Max’s life left a lingering cloud on me for a while. The lack of sleep (and being far away from friends and family, therefore having little support) hit me hard - and took me a long time to rebound from. In part because of that, I got him on a relatively strict schedule, no matter where we are in the world - and helping him (and therefore myself) get the best possible sleep is super important to me.
I am, by no means, an expert. But here’s are a few things that have worked for me when it comes to helping ensure my son gets a good night sleep.
1) PORTABLE BLACKOUT CURTAINS + A SLUMBERPOD
In hotels, and when sharing a room, the Slumberpod has been an ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER. It fits over most travel cribs and pack and plays. We put it in the corner, or even in a closet, and put a noise machine (see #3) in between us and him. The child won’t be distracted by trying to look around the room, the noise machine helps them feel even more like they have their own space, and the fact that it’s completely blacked out in there helps them get deeper, restful sleep.
Probably in-part because he’s slept in the dark for most of his life, my son won’t nap anywhere other than in a blacked out room - so on days where we’re on the go, I have to just accept that he won’t be napping in the carseat or on a plane. That being said, he usually sleeps really well at night now, and since he’s such an active kid, still takes a nap most afternoons if in bed in the dark.
Having him sleep in a blacked out room has also been able to have him on a “baseball schedule,” going to bed later and waking up later, because the morning light isn’t a factor. Furthermore, when traveling, it helps minimize jet lag. If he’s tired, he’s not (as) thrown off by the sun suddenly being up at 7am when according to his body, it’s only 4am.
When traveling, we use these portable curtains that stick on the window. Nothing to install, no walls to mess up. Just make sure those bad boys are truly blocking out all of the light.
2) A CONSISTENT BEDTIME ROUTINE
We didn’t do this at first, but when we started to implement it, we realized how important that it was. We start “wind down time” approximately an hour before bed. We take a bath, brush our teeth, read books, and then tell stories. I sing the same song every night, and then he gets hugs and smooches. Having this routine helps him know what’s coming.
3) A SOUND MACHINE
There are a ton of great options out there, and just about anything will work - but love the Hatch Baby Rest. I love it so much I have the Hatch Baby Rest+ in my own room, because the sound is great - and the Rest+ it has a clock on it.
I have Max’s on the dryer sound at about 40%. This not only helps him sleep well, but bringing it with me he has familiar sounds wherever we go. This not only helps create a better (and consistent) sleep environment, but also takes some of the stress off of the parents or caregivers, not worrying that every noise they make might wake up their child!
4) BRINGING THE SAME STUFFED ANIMAL OR OTHER LOVEY
Along with his sound machine, we bring his favorite stuffed animal everywhere we go. It’s big - as big as a pillow - but it gives him the comfort of the same sleeping conditions no matter where we are. Trying to make him feel as much at home as possible wherever we are is a priority for me, and it seems to help him.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING ACROSS TIME ZONES
As I mentioned, my son won’t really nap anywhere that’s not blackout dark. Our travel to Korea took approximately 20 hours, and despite all of my best attempts, he only slept for approximately 30 minutes (right before our descent into Seoul). This makes travel days more mentally exhausting, but using the above resources, I’ve found that it makes it easier for him to adjust to new time zones. By the time we got to our final destination, he was so tired that we were able to get him to bed, wake him up in the morning local time, and ease him into his new schedule.
More often, we’re traveling somewhere with a 2-3 hour time difference. Here’s my method:
I try to ensure that he will get a normal night sleep in the original city. If I have to, I will opt for a flight that requires him to wake up a little earlier than usual - but I try to avoid super early morning flights. I’d rather land super late and be tired the next day then have him be cranky at the airport and on the plane.
Because he doesn’t nap on-the-go, I plan on having to entertain him for the entirety of the flight. Knowing that before I go into the flight makes it slightly more manageable. Then - we power through! The first thing I do when I get to the destination is set up his crib with his stuffed animals, Slumberpod or blackout curtains, and noise machine. I help him wind down, go through bedtime routine (abbreviated if it’s super late), and get him into bed. The hardest part is waking him up the next morning (especially if I’m jet lagged myself), but it’s worth it to keep him on a schedule. If it’s a short trip, I try to keep him on the originating city’s time zone. If it’s a longer trip, we usually just start living our lives around the new time zone right away. We all might be tired for a day or two, but everyone ends up being happier and adjusted quicker.
What are your tips on baby and toddler sleep?