If your child usually sleeps 3 hours a day, try not to allow them to sleep much more than that while away. If your child is not sleeping well at night you may think that letting them sleep longer than usual during the day will help but it could actually cause more challenges. The point is that they are still getting their sleep during the day.īe consistent with the length of their daytime sleep. Try and be mindful of sleep and their sleep needs by offering them the opportunity to nap and go to bed on time however, if it has to be a car nap or carrier nap here and there, that’s okay. Don’t let poor sleep get in the way of your vacation. If your child isn’t settling well or not sleeping well, it may just be something you have to work with knowing that once you return home, you will focus and get back on track. Trying to maintain somewhat of the same time blocks for meals and snacks as your child has at home will be key. Helping their internal clock adjust to the new sleep times will be easier if they are eating at regular intervals as well. Helping your child adjust to the time change and jet lag starts with a consistent day to day. The best way to help your little one adjust to a schedule quickly is by maintaining a consistent morning wake up. The morning wake time is going to be really important. It will cue them that it is time for sleep and can make the transition easier. Making sure the sleep space is dark will have the same effect on their internal clock. It can also shorten the effects of jet lag. If you are visiting a place with a 7 hour time change, you may only want to shift the schedule by 3 or 4 hours, which will make coming home much easier.Īllow a day or two of relaxation and recovery from the jet lag by not planning too much on the first couple of days after you arrive.Ī lot of exposure to natural daylight during their awake times, especially the first couple of days after arriving will help the circadian rhythm establish a lot quicker. If the time change is going to be significant (5+ hours) consider only adjusting them by a few hours instead. Keep your regular schedule and hopefully your little one will have no issues adapting. If you are away for less than a week and it is not a significant difference in time, you may not want to change much. Using the tips below can certainly ease the transition but for some travellers regardless of how you try and help your child, they may just struggle. There really is no way of judging or anticipating how your child will adjust to the time shift and whether or not it is going to be an easy transition or not. If you are traveling west though you may decide to shift the schedule before leaving as the early bedtime and wake up might just be too early while on vacation. If you are traveling east you may decide to keep the later bedtime and later morning wake up because let’s face it, that’s just a bonus when you are on vacation. You can either help your little one adjust before you leave or you can wait until you arrive at your destination to start shifting the schedule. Much like the shift in time change with spring forward and fall back, you have two options when it comes to traveling to different time zones. Traveling and exposing your children to new cultures, new experiences and new sites is absolutely amazing, but it can also be a cause of stress! No one wants to deal with an over stimulated, over tired baby or child if sleep goes completely off track! So we’ve got some tips to share on traveling through time zones with kids. If you are planning a trip, around the world or even just a few hours away, you may be panicking about what to do with your child’s sleep schedule.

Sleep time zone changes