Long Flight and Jet Lag With Baby and Toddler

When you travel to far flung destinations you take to deal with the dreaded jet lag. While this can be annoying for adults, it gets a little more complicated with baby travel.

We are frequently asked how to avoid jet lag in infants, baby, toddlers and kids. Information technology's near travelling parents worse nightmare, so we've tried to put together our best jet lag tips and communication.

We have certainly flown to far flung destinations with our kids, both every bit babies and toddlers and had to deal with babe jet lag fairly often. We've done the dreaded Europe to Oceania (11 hour time divergence!) in one hit a couple of times. However, it should not exist something that y'all get stressed about.

That said, in that location is no perfect cure to beat jet lag and sometimes yous and your kids will just have to adapt only here'due south what y'all can do to brand it easier.

I want to start off with positive vibes here, I've had some of my all-time travel experiences with my kids Considering of jet lag. Nosotros've seen some epic sunrises in beautiful destinations because they were up and at it in the heart of the night, then we decided to make the most of information technology.

Whilst that'southward fine on the outbound trip, I appreciate it'southward a hurting in the ass when you are on the return home to reality, peradventure back to work!

Well-nigh JET LAG IN BABIES, TODDLERS AND KIDS

WHAT IS JET LAG?

Lets spring into the basics here, what exactly is jet lag? We take something called a cyclic rhythm aka body clock, that controls biochemical, physiological and behavioral processes in our trunk.

These processes control a number of things such every bit sleep and appetite. Passing through daylight and darkness at times when our body is not used to information technology, de-synchronises united states of america!

As a outcome we are awake and feeling hungry at different times. A number of hormonal changes take place to become us use to the new environment. There are a few things nosotros tin can do to help ourselves and the little ones along.

I important thing to remember is flight eastward is harder than flight west. We don't have equally long to adjust to the new environment since the timezone is alee.

Flying west is generally easier equally there are more hours in the solar day to recover. Go along this in heed when choosing a flying time.

BABIES AND JET LAG

A jet lagged baby or newborn tin can actually be the easiest to set back on the right schedule. They nap then much during the day it's not such a big deal to change their routine.

You may have even done it earlier as many babies deal with mean solar day/night confusion in their early months anyways!

HOW TO Prevent TODDLER AND Baby JET LAG

CHOOSING A Flying TO REDUCE JET LAG

I often experience the nearly painless style to fly long haul with a baby or toddler is during the night. It's less piece of work for us as parents to keep them entertained for hours on end.

The about seamless way to join a new time zone is to make it somewhat rested, albeit with slightly cleaved sleep on a plane.

Booking a dark flight is the first step to combating jet lag! Every bit we know, the lights are off on night flights and they are more often than not a lot quieter, significant when yous wake upwards, yous can become on with it.

Think about slumber when you are choosing your seat, ask at bank check-in for any spare seats to be allocated to your piddling one, specially if they don't accept their ain seat. More than most sleeping on the aeroplane in a moment!

Travel tips on flying with a baby here!

STOPOVERS

If you are travelling a mammoth distance, for example from London to Auckland, I highly recommend a stopover. Some airlines give you a costless stopover, yep that's right, including a overnice hotel for the night. Passing through multiple fourth dimension zones worsens the effects of jet lag.

All of the usual airdrome hubs have a tonne of things designed for people passing through. From drome butterfly gardens in Singapore, to watching animals roam in the park beyond the road in Nairobi, it's always been worth the residue.

Two massive flights dorsum to dorsum is pushing niggling ones as well much in my honest opinion. I've tried both means and I certainly feel a stopover is a kinder mode of doing it.

Accommodate THEIR SCHEDULE EARLY TO AVOID Babe JET LAG

If you've followed Travel Mad Mum for a while, you volition know I'm a big fan of grooming. I firmly believe that family travel does non have to exist stressful.

I think that everything from the flight, to the trip itself is simply then much easier with a program. As your trip gets closer you lot can commencement preparing past adjusting their routine slightly a few days before your flight.

Try making bed time a footling earlier or subsequently depending on where yous are heading. You won't exist able to alter their routine completely merely changing it little by trivial will help minimise kids/baby jet lag and make the transition to the new time zone easier once you get there.

Recall near trying to motion your own slumber routine as well. The hardest part in my stance is trying to proceed ourselves awake in gild to help your kids practice the same. If nosotros terminate upwardly falling asleep, they of course will too. It's a process the whole family have to do together.

AVOIDING JET LAG – Slumber TIPS

Nosotros like to make sure our kids are dressed in PJ's for a night flight, this helps them current of air down and feel comfy. If you are flying with a babe we like to bring a shade that goes over the bassinet which eliminates distractions, helping them sleep improve.

If yous haven't managed to secure the bassinet on the plane this SkyBaby travel mattress seems like a really good selection for the all important babe slumber!

For toddlers and older kids we similar to bring a JetKids BedBox. This turns their seat into a bed and makes them sleep a million times better! Having them sleep well on the airplane has washed wonders in minimising baby and toddler jet lag in my experience.

Of form, for this to work yous need to make sure your flying time makes sense for their routine taking into account the time alter.

Shop for a JetKids BedBox here.

If all else fails, I find having my carrier is the best choice for cuddles and hopefully sleep. I use the i-angel carrier as it lasts from 7 lbs to 44lbs. Information technology's my number ane piece of baby paraphernalia.

HOW TO DEAL WITH BABY AND TODDLER JET LAG

If the preventative measures don't work, nosotros've still got you covered. Here'due south the best way to recover from jet lag in kids once you've got information technology.

MELATONIN FOR JET LAG

Melatonin is a natural sleep aid that some people give their kids to try and brand them sleepy at the right time. Some say it's 1 of the natural jet lag remedies for toddlers and kids.

While taking melatonin for jet lag may testify helpful we definitely would advise you to consult with your GP or pediatrician.

SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE

The first time I had to bargain with jet lag I did a lot of googling and one of the most popular suggestions was to betrayal your babe or toddler to the sun.

The thought is that exposure to the lord's day will help your babe adjust their internal clock naturally and get them back in sync with day and night.

I accept definitely found that if we don't close the shades the get-go couple days they adjust much faster to waking up at the right time.

With a baby or infant just attempt and take a walk in the afternoon sunday if the daytime lord's day is besides strong for them. And of course, don't forget suncream.

WHEN YOUR JET LAGGED Babe WAKES ALL NIGHT

If your jet lagged baby wakes all night, sunlight exposure can be especially helpful. They are waking upwardly because their internal rhythm is off and they call back information technology's 24-hour interval fourth dimension, so sun exposure can really help set them right.

It's also of import to keep the lights off or dim when they wake up in the middle of the night, even if they are not able to fall back comatose for awhile. This will also help them sympathise that it'due south nighttime and time to slumber.

MEALTIME

Mealtimes are important for two reasons. Meals are plain part of nigh kids daily routine. If you can get them eating on the right timezone, it's a stride in the direction of getting them to sleep at the correct fourth dimension. The second reason is that most kids (and adults) autumn asleep much faster on a full stomach.

We recommend bringing along, or making sure you have admission to, lots of foods your kids beloved and timing it so they can have a repast earlier bedtime. I find having a repast at the airport rather than on board really helpful for nighttime flights.

That way yous tin can settle them down quickly and don't have to disturb them. We accept a list of our favorite snacks to bring forth on the plane in our flying with kids post.

STAYING HYDRATED

Information technology'due south always important to stay hydrated especially when you wing, and even more then if you lot are a breastfeeding mum. Unremarkably your trunk learns to produce milk faster around your child's feeding times.

Considering you lot are going to want to alter your feeding times in accordance with the time zone alter, you demand to make certain you are producing enough milk to feed at the local time zone.

Making sure to hydrate well will help your torso produce. We like to bring refillable water bottles with us when nosotros fly. Every bit long as they are empty, you can get through security with them and many airports at present take filling stations.

Unless of course information technology'south your babies canteen, in which case it's fine to take liquid through security.

You lot can read more formula feeding travel tips here.

KIDS AND JET LAG: PUSH THEM – But NOT TOO HARD

Sometimes you are just going to have to button your kids to stay awake a lilliputian longer than they want. You lot know your kids and you know what's too much for them. We find new toys or a pool is a keen manner to brand them desire to keep playing and not autumn comatose.

With infant jet lag information technology will be a little more than hands on to keep them awake and stimulated at the correct time but infants also readjust easier and then you don't demand to worry.

WAKING UP Also EARLY

If your kids are waking up too early so yous are going to have to try and push them to not take a nap until later in the twenty-four hour period.

You may want to schedule a depression key pool day or something of the sort that will go on your kids wanting to have fun for hours but close enough to the hotel that when they really demand to become to sleep yous can requite them a nice placidity place to take a long nap.

GOING TO Sleep TOO Tardily

If you lot find yourself dealing with the other side of jet lag and your kids just won't get to sleep, you need to be waking them up earlier in the morning.

Endeavour and find the sweet spot between too early that they barely slept and not too late that they will be upwardly all night again. We observe playing some fun music and the pool to be a winner every time.

MAKING THE MOST OF CHILDREN AND JET LAG

Baby and toddler jet lag doesn't last forever and then sometimes the all-time strategy is to just go with it. Just take you lot'll exist awake at godforsaken hours and make the most of it! If your kids are waking upwardly on the early side it's a dandy way to get to places that are normally crawling with tourists and accept information technology all to yourself.

On numerous occasions nosotros have gotten upwardly at 4am with our jet lagged baby and/or toddlers and gotten tourist costless stunning pictures at sunrise.

In Siem Riep we got to have the Phnom Bakheng Temple all to ourselves. The same happened in Canada, we got to see Banff all by ourselves earlier the masses descended.

Of grade, if you are besides tired to deal with your kids at 4 am you can always toss them the tablet and become dorsum to sleep. No one is judging you – you lot are on holiday!

If you know your toddler is not going to fall asleep before midnight yous can go alee and take advantage of this. Lets face up it, as parents with young kids nosotros rarely go to see our holiday destination after nighttime.

We love strolling around night markets, or looking for depression primal evening activities. You will always find something suitable.

HOW LONG DOES JET LAG Terminal?

In our experience getting over jet lag doesn't commonly take more than a few days.

Anybody always wants the magic trick to overcoming jet lag only if yous plan ahead for your trip, keeping in heed that your schedule may exist weird for the first few days then you won't even need to worry almost how to beat jet lag and you can just go with it.

Set up to book a trip? Find the best deals on guided tours, flights, hotels, travel insurance, and rental cars!

Do y'all accept any tricks for avoiding infant and toddler jet lag when y'all travel? Drop it in the comments beneath!

Y'all May Likewise Like:

Flying With A Babe

Flying With A Toddler

Travelling With A Newborn

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Source: https://travelmadmum.com/jet-lag-in-babies-and-toddlers/