Sleeping arrangements can be one of the most stressful parts of traveling with kids (once you reach your destination, of course!). From the tiniest newborn to school aged kids, sleeping away from home is never easy.
We have always tried to make sleeping away from home as much like home as possible. I always brings the kids’ special sleeping items like their blankies, lovies, small animals and raggies.
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Our kids have also always used sound machines to help them fall asleep (though they do not stay on all night, automatically turning off after 10-15 minutes) and I try to replicate this when sleeping away also. When Sugarplum was a baby and in her screaming phase (which was always fun on the plane!) we bought a “sleep sheep” which is a small animal with built-in sound machine. I used to hook it to the handle of her car seat on the airplane just above her head to help sooth her and we also used it for her at night. It was a life saver!
Bedding arrangements aren’t always so easy, though. The amount of gear a baby needs in life can be overwhelming and packing light with an infant certainly is a challenge!
When our kids were newborns, before they were rolling well and crawling, we traveled with a fold-up travel bed which fit easily in our smallest carry-on suitcase. It was just enough to keep the baby contained and easily fit next to the bed where we could have easy access for night-time feeds.
As they grew, we began to rely on play yards/travel cots. We bought one to keep at each of our parents’ house to have whenever we visit and we usually take ours with us when traveling by car. Unfortunately it is too much to travel with when flying (the only time we’ve ever flown with it was when we moved to Dublin) so usually end up using a hotel one though I do sometimes bring my own sheets.
Because I’m not a big fan of hotel baby cribs/cots, as soon as our kids are able, we begin traveling with a toddler size blow up mattress. The one we have has a foot pump which makes it super easy to inflate and easily squishes down to the size of a small tote bag. Both Sugarplum and Doodle started using it at around 18 months and it has been fantastic! We’ve only had a few problems with babies wandering around in the night and they are always pretty agreeable to lay back down.
Once Sugarplum outgrew the blow up mattress, she was ready to sleep in a regular bed so now her and Honeybun share a double bed. We usually book hotel rooms with two double beds though I’m not sure what we’re going to do once Doodle outgrows his air mattress and needs a proper bed to sleep in!
