Travelling with little ones and their sleep. Let's strip it back.

First thing, and honestly the most important thing. You are on holidays. This is temporary.

Sleep is not always going to look the way it does at home, and that is completely okay. Some naps will be short. Some will happen in the pram. Some might not happen at all. You get to relinquish a little of that control, because you return to your normal routine the moment you are home.

Now here is how you set them up to sleep as well as they can while you are away.

Recreate their sleep environment

You want to replicate their home sleep environment as closely as you can. This is exactly why I bang on about blackout blinds at home. If your baby is used to a dark room, you want to recreate that dark room wherever you go.

There are portable travel blackout options, but I will be honest, I find them really fiddly. The suction cups never quite hold, and you end up with light gaps everywhere.

What I love instead is a SlumberPod, especially if you are all sharing one hotel room. It gives them their own dark little cave, and it travels really well.

If doing a nap in the pram, this portable black-out blind is great and can also be used over bassinets and aeroplane cots.

Bring your sleep cues with you

Same goes for white noise. This is why I always suggest white noise at home. You can take that exact same sound anywhere in the world, and it signals sleep no matter where you are. If you use a machine, keep it at a low volume and place it well away from the cot, around two metres, and use it for sleep rather than running it all day.

Bring a few things from home too. A fitted cot sheet that already smells like home is a lovely, safe cue. If your child is old enough for a comforter, pack that as well. A quick note here. Red Nose Australia recommends keeping soft items out of the sleep space for babies under seven months, and a clear cot for the first twelve months, so use your judgement based on your baby's age. Little cues like these go a long way.

Hold the rhythm loosely

Then stick as close to their usual rhythm as you can, but hold it loosely. If they only nap for an hour, that is fine. If it is a pram nap kind of day, that is fine too.

One thing worth keeping in mind. Pram naps are great for daytime sleep while you are with them and can keep an eye on things. For overnight sleep, aim for a flat, safe sleep surface such as a travel cot that meets Australian safety standards.

A few things to have up your sleeve

Have a couple of backups ready, because holidays rarely go exactly to plan.

If a nap gets missed, bring bedtime a little earlier that night to make up for it. An earlier night takes the pressure off an overtired little one, and off you.

If you have a young baby, pack your carrier. A carrier nap can be a great backup when nothing else is working, and it keeps them close while you get on with your day.

And if you have had a big day out with lots of pram naps and stimulation, plan a slower, quieter day after it. Build in more rest, and aim for one proper nap to help them catch up.

Expect a bumpy first night

It is worth saying out loud. The first night away is often the hardest. New room, new smells, new sounds. Your little one might wake more than usual, and that is completely normal.

Do not read too much into it. Hold your routine loosely, offer a bit more comfort than you would at home, and give them a day or two to settle in. They almost always find their feet by the second or third night.

The biggest thing I can give you

Truly, the most important part of all of this is simple. Relinquish the control. Enjoy your holiday.

Their sleep will come back together when you are home. It always does. The foundations you have built do not disappear because you went away for a week. They are still there, waiting for you, the moment you walk back through your own front door.

So pack the blackout, pack the white noise, bring a familiar sheet, and then let the rest go. A few short naps on holiday will never undo all the good work you have done. Some of the best memories are made on the days that did not go to plan.

You do not need to hold it all together perfectly. You just need to enjoy the time away, and trust that home will do the rest.

If you want your full sleep routine in your pocket while you travel, my app walks you through naps, settling, and schedules for the four to twelve month window.