Managing Your Little One’s Sleep On Holiday

20 August 2024| Updated 8 October 2026|Newborn|Travel Strollers|Tips and Tricks

Quick Answer

The easiest way to manage your baby's or toddler's sleep on holiday is to keep the familiar parts of their routine while accepting that the timings may change. Bring the sleep cues they already know, give them time to become familiar with the new room and protect important naps where possible. For babies, safer-sleep guidance still applies on holiday: use a clear, firm, flat sleep space, place baby on their back and avoid adding soft toys, pillows, extra mattresses or loose items to the cot.

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Expert advice with safer-sleep guidance The original article was written by certified Infant Sleep Consultant Charlotte Hillyard of The Gift of Sleep. This updated guide also incorporates current The Lullaby Trust guidance on safer sleep while travelling.

Holidays are meant to feel like a change of pace, but travelling with a baby or toddler can make sleep one of the biggest things on a parent's mind.

A different cot, unfamiliar noises, later meals, flights, warmer rooms and a new time zone can all disrupt the cues your child associates with bedtime. That does not mean the whole holiday needs to revolve around their sleep schedule.

The goal is usually to keep enough familiarity that your little one can settle while leaving enough flexibility for the family to actually enjoy being away.

Keep The familiar bedtime routine

Allow Some flexibility around timings

Protect Important naps where you can

For babies Follow safer-sleep guidance every time

Before you leave

How can you prepare your little one for sleeping on holiday?

A little planning before you travel can remove much of the uncertainty once you arrive.

01 Check the sleep space Ask your hotel or accommodation what type of cot or travel cot they provide, whether bedding is included and where the cot can be positioned in the room.

02 Pack familiar cues Bring the sleeping bag, bedtime book, pyjamas or other appropriate items that form part of your child's normal bedtime routine.

03 Think about the journey If you're travelling over a usual nap time, plan how your child may rest en route so they do not arrive at the destination already exhausted.

Familiar, not rigid

Should you keep the same bedtime routine on holiday?

Keeping the familiar sequence is often more realistic than trying to keep exactly the same clock time.

Keep the order familiar

If home normally means bath, pyjamas, milk, story and bed, try to preserve that order even if dinner runs later and bedtime shifts.

Give them time to explore the room

A new bedroom can be exciting or unsettling. Let younger children spend some calm time in the room before bedtime so it does not feel completely unfamiliar when the lights go out.

Protect some wind-down time

Moving directly from a busy restaurant, pool or evening activity into bed can make settling harder. Even a shorter version of the normal wind-down can help create a clear transition.

Balance late nights with quieter ones

A later evening is part of many holidays. If your child is becoming overtired, following it with an earlier or calmer night can help restore some balance.

Don't chase perfection

Sleep can look different away from home. A few later nights or unusual naps do not mean the routine is permanently lost.

Age matters

Familiar sleep cues look different for babies and toddlers

Babies

Familiarity without adding items to the cot

A familiar sleeping bag, bedtime song, book or routine can provide consistency without placing anything extra in the sleep space.

For babies, keep the cot clear of soft toys, comforters, pillows, bumpers and loose items and continue following safer-sleep guidance for every sleep.

Older toddlers & children

Familiar objects can be reassuring

For an older child who already safely sleeps with a favourite toy, comforter or bedtime book at home, taking that familiar item on holiday may help the new environment feel more recognisable.

Try to recreate the cues they already associate with going to sleep rather than introducing lots of new ones while you're away.

Safer sleep away from home

What should you check before your baby sleeps in a travel cot?

The sleep space may look different on holiday, but the core principles should remain the same.

Firm and flat mattress Travel cot mattresses are often thinner and firmer than a cot mattress at home. That is normal and does not mean you need to make them softer.

Check the fit and condition Make sure the mattress fits properly, has no obvious damage, sagging or gaps and that the cot itself is in good condition.

Keep the cot clear Avoid pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, sleep positioners, soft toys and unnecessary loose items in a baby's sleep space.

Position the cot carefully Keep it away from radiators, direct sunlight, blind cords and direct air-conditioning airflow.

Don't add a second mattress or folded blankets underneath your baby The Lullaby Trust advises against trying to make a travel cot mattress feel softer with quilts, folded blankets or unapproved replacement mattresses. These can reduce firmness or create gaps around the edge.

Naps on travel days

How should you manage naps during the journey?

Flights & airports

Work around the sleep your child needs

If a flight overlaps a normal nap, allowing some sleep en route may help prevent your child arriving extremely overtired. Exact timings will rarely be perfect, so focus on the overall balance across the day.

Car journeys

Move baby to a flat sleep space once you arrive

A baby may fall asleep while travelling in their car seat, but the car seat is designed for transport. Once the journey is over, move them to an appropriate firm, flat sleep space when practical.

Pushchair naps

Check the product instructions

If your baby sleeps while you're out, use the pushchair or carrycot exactly as the manufacturer directs and make sure the sleeping position is suitable for your child's age.

Arrival day

Avoid forcing an exact schedule

Travel days are unusual by nature. Once you arrive, focus on a calm bedtime routine and gradually move back towards the pattern you want for the rest of the holiday.

Travelling further afield

How do you manage a baby's or toddler's sleep across time zones?

A larger time difference can temporarily shift when your child feels sleepy. Give their body time to adjust rather than expecting the first night to follow the local schedule perfectly.

01 Use the local day

Once you arrive, meals, outdoor time and family activity can begin to follow the local clock, helping the whole family settle into the new routine.

02 Keep bedtime cues familiar

Even if bedtime moves, the same wind-down routine can give your child a recognisable signal that the day is ending.

03 Expect some adjustment

Early waking, an unusual nap or a later bedtime can happen while your child adapts. Avoid treating one disrupted night as a new permanent pattern.

White noise & familiar sounds

Should you take a white noise machine on holiday?

If white noise is already part of your child's normal sleep routine, it can be useful to bring the same device because hotel corridors, restaurants and family apartments may sound very different from home.

Keep the device outside the cot or sleep space and use it according to the manufacturer's instructions. You do not need to introduce white noise specifically for a holiday if your child does not normally rely on it.

The same principle applies to the rest of the routine: familiar cues are usually more useful than creating an entirely new set of sleep habits for a week away.

A portable sleep option

Can a baby sleep in an iCandy carrycot while you're away?

Some iCandy carrycots are suitable for overnight sleeping, which can provide additional flexibility when travelling. Always check the instructions for your exact model rather than assuming every carrycot is approved for the same use.

Peach 8 carrycot The Peach 8 carrycot is suitable for permanent overnight sleeping whether at home or away and can be used with the compatible iCandy MiStand.

Core 2 carrycot The Core 2 carrycot is also suitable for overnight sleeping and is compatible with the MiStand for added flexibility away from home.

When using any carrycot for sleep, continue to follow safer-sleep guidance: keep baby on their back on the supplied firm, flat mattress, keep the space clear and monitor the room temperature.

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Coming home

How do you get your child's sleep routine back on track after a holiday?

If sleep has shifted while you're away, returning to familiar routines at home is usually more useful than trying to compensate for every late bedtime immediately.

Go back to the familiar routine

Reinstate the bedtime sequence your child knew before the holiday so the cues around sleep feel familiar again.

Return to normal nap opportunities

If naps became inconsistent while travelling, offer them again at the usual points in the day rather than assuming the holiday pattern needs to continue.

Give everyone a few days

Travel can be tiring for adults as well as children. Allow some adjustment time before deciding the old routine no longer works.

Expert contributor

Advice from Charlotte Hillyard

The original guidance in this article was written by Charlotte Hillyard, founder of The Gift of Sleep, a certified Infant Sleep Consultant and mum of two.

Charlotte's approach focuses on helping families build sleep routines around the needs of the individual child and family rather than expecting every household to follow the same pattern.

You can learn more about Charlotte and her sleep support at The Gift of Sleep.

Common questions

Baby & Toddler Holiday Sleep FAQs

Will going on holiday ruin my baby's sleep routine?

Not necessarily. Sleep may look different while you're away because of new surroundings, later evenings, travel and different time zones, but keeping familiar bedtime cues and returning to your normal routine at home can make the transition easier.

Should I keep my child's normal bedtime on holiday?

You do not have to keep exactly the same clock time. It can be more practical to keep the familiar sequence of the bedtime routine while allowing some flexibility around when it happens.

Can my baby take their favourite teddy to bed on holiday?

Babies should sleep in a clear sleep space without soft toys, comforters, pillows or unnecessary loose items. An older toddler or child who normally and safely sleeps with a familiar comfort item may find it reassuring to bring it away.

Is a hotel travel cot safe for a baby?

Check that the cot is in good condition and has a firm, flat, well-fitting mattress with no obvious damage or gaps. Keep the sleep space clear and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Do not add folded blankets or an unapproved extra mattress to make it softer.

Can a baby sleep in a pram carrycot on holiday?

Some carrycots can be used as sleep spaces while you're away, but only when the manufacturer confirms that the specific model is suitable for overnight sleep. It should provide a firm, completely flat mattress and be used according to both the product instructions and safer-sleep guidance.

How do I stop my toddler becoming overtired on holiday?

Try to protect important naps where practical and balance occasional later evenings with quieter or earlier nights. A holiday does not need to follow the exact home schedule, but regularly missing both naps and bedtime can make settling harder for some children.

What should I do if my child wakes very early because of the time zone?

Give them time to adjust and gradually organise meals, outdoor time, naps and bedtime around the local day. Keep bedtime cues familiar and avoid assuming the first few nights represent their new permanent routine.

Should I use white noise in a hotel room?

If your child already uses white noise at home, bringing the same device can provide a familiar cue and help mask unfamiliar background sounds. Keep it outside the cot or sleep space and follow the device manufacturer's instructions.

Sleep on holiday

Keep the familiar bits. Be flexible with the rest.

Holidays are supposed to feel different from everyday life. Your child's sleep may shift too, and that is not automatically a problem.

Keep the routines that help them feel secure, protect rest where you can and continue following safer-sleep guidance for babies. Then give the whole family permission to enjoy being away.

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