Let’s me set the stage: your baby is on a good sleep schedule. They know their routine and thrive on the consistency of it. You just received a text from a friend or family member inviting you away for a few days. Your question: can we get through vacation with baby’s sleep intact? You and your baby have worked so hard to get to this point – are you willing to risk your progress for a few nights away? While there is no way to guarantee you a seamless transition from sleeping at home to on vacation to back home again, our tips can help ease your worries.

Our Tips to Help You Get Through Vacation with Baby’s Sleep Intact

1. Keep the Schedule the Same. If your baby usually naps at 10:00am and 3:00pm, do not change that just because it’s inconvenient. Likewise, if bedtime is at 7:00pm, maintain that consistency. It is much harder for babies to adjust to changes in their sleep routine than it is for adults. Minimizing these changes keeps things predictable for your little one.
2. Don’t Switch the Routine. Babies thrive on routine. Now is not the time to experiment with switching up their routine. If they usually get a bath and story every night before bed, don’t waiver. And as tempting as it may be to have a friend or family member help with bedtime, don’t. You are a vital part of your baby’s routine.
3. Try to Keep the Environment the Same. If your baby usually sleeps in a room with blackout curtains and a sound machine, bring them with you! Thankfully, many hotels have heavy curtains that will black out most of the light. Dohm makes a great portable sound machine option, the Rohm.
4. Maintain Separate Sleeping Space. Chances are if you’re reading this your baby is sleeping in their own space at home (bassinet, crib, etc). Keep this the same by bringing a play yard or portable crib is an inexpensive step towards getting through vacation with baby’s sleep intact. Keep in mind there are numerous options for travel cribs, we linked two of the more budget-friendly options.
5. Do NOT Bring Baby into Your Bed. I cannot stress this enough. Once baby comes into your bed you will start a habit that will eventually need to be broken. Additionally, if baby is not used to sleeping in your bed the quality of their sleep will be diminished while they adjust.

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for maintaining your baby’s sleep schedule while you are away from home. Sleep is precious and everyone functions better when they are well-rested!