Sweet Dreams on the Road

Traveling with your little one can be challenging, but as a pediatric sleep consultant, my number one suggestion is to travel with items that provide as much consistency as possible for your little ones as they adapt to a new environment.

Below are my absolute favorite suggestions for sleep-related travel products.

The SlumberPod

The Slumber Pod is basically a blackout tent that pops up right over your pack-and-play. It folds down to a nice compact size, which makes it amazing for travel. I look at it as basically creating a whole other bedroom for my kids (and they are sleeping right next to us). Pair it with your sound machine of choice (my suggestion is also below), and you won’t have to worry about tiptoeing around your hotel room, packing blackout curtains for your very bright Airbnb, or hanging out in a dark, quiet room starting at 7 p.m. Yes, the price tag may have you second-guessing this purchase, but when I tell you that this product not only saved us (and my clients) countless times of having to book an entire second hotel room… this item has paid for itself over and over again.

The Hatch Rest+

This is my favorite sleep product to use at home, so I always take it with me whenever we travel — whether that be to grandma’s house or across the country, my Hatch is coming. It functions as a nightlight, a sound machine and an OK-to-Wake clock. Bedtime routines are all about consistency, and I really love incorporating as many of the five senses into routines as possible to cue our little ones that it’s time for bed. The Hatch sets the ambience perfectly for bedtime and helps to transform an unfamiliar sleep space into something reminiscent of home. The one caveat here: if you are at a hotel with an open Wifi network (a.k.a. not password protected), you may have trouble connecting this, and that can be super frustrating. If that’s the case, you can either hook it up to your personal hotspot on your phone. Or you can ditch it and go for a travel sound machine instead.

Yoga Sleep Hushh

My favorite previously mentioned travel sound machine is hands down the Yoga Sleep. It is super compact and portable, has a long battery life, and is extremely basic and user-friendly. Even when packing my Hatch, I always take this as well. It comes in so handy for on-the-go naps to drown out surrounding sounds, of which there are many during travel. This is a no-brainer purchase, and you won’t be sorry.

Stuffie

Do not, I repeat do not, leave home without your child’s comfort object. This is probably the most important item to remember, as it will add the extra layer of soothing your child may need to relax and sleep comfortably in a new space. If you have one takeaway from this article, remember to not only check multiple times that you packed this item but that you tucked away a back-up, too, in case of an emergency.

Lotion

As I mentioned, incorporating the five senses into your bed and nap routines is so helpful. Bring a travel-size version of the same lotion that you use for your child at home. This provides consistency during your routine and it’s small enough that you can add it to your carry-on if you aren’t checking a bag!

Overnight Diapers

If possible, travel without your regular diapers and purchase those once you arrive at your destination (other than, of course, what you need for the trip and a few extras). However, I strongly recommend packing your overnight diapers, especially if it’s a short trip. Your preferred brand/type may not be as easy to come by or they may come in such large quantities that you’d end up wasting some by leaving them behind or have more to pack for the way back! We all know that a good overnight diaper is key in keeping your child comfortable and asleep throughout the night — so prepare in advance with what you need.

Hopefully you find these tips helpful when preparing for your next family trip. If you need more sleep tips, you can find me @mysleepfriend and mysleepfriend.co. Wishing you memorable (and restful) travels!

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