Helping Your Child Sleep on a Plane

While we're not big fans of using a sedative to get our kids to sleep on a plane, especially in light of the recent warnings, so we've gotten pretty sophisticated in our tactics for getting our baby and toddler to nap on the plane. Here are our top tips:

Schedule flights at nap time or bedtime, and make sure that your kids get plenty of physical activity before the flight. Many airports have a play area (ask a gate agent) but if yours doesn't you can often find a lightly used gate for them to run around.
Seat your child in the window seat where there will be less distraction from passing flight attendants and passengers. Once you takeoff, close the window shade and turn off the overhead lights.
A full tummy makes everyone drowsy. Take some time after clearing security to make sure that your child is well fed, preferably with lots of protein and not very much sugar.
Takeoff is the easiest time to get your child to sleep as there's little activity in the cabin and the soothing engine noise is at its loudest.
We go through as much of our sleep routine as possible, including putting on Pajamas, reading books, and singing quietly or giving them earbuds and an mp3 player loaded with calm music. (I figure my neighbors would rather hear quiet singing than loud crying.) We tell the kids that it's going to be a long, boring flight and its best to go to sleep, so that they understand what we're expecting.
A sippy full of milk will not only help clear your child's ears during takeoff, but milk also has a mild sedative effect (as does sucking on a sippy or bottle. Of course it's no secret that breastfeeding, especially with a cover, super effective at inducing sleep.

References:
NY Times: These Drugs Are for Colds, Not Fidgets
Times Online: Mothers who drug their babies on flights
Tips for Flying with Babies, Toddlers, and Children

Filed Under: jet-lag travel-tips

Save to del.icio.us | Posted on November 19, 2007 | 6 comments

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Comments

HCY
April 14, 2008 at 12:12 p.m.

Hello. I am traveling with our son (2 years, 1 month old at the time of the trip) to New Mexico. This will be his first plane trip ever. He does terrific in the car (we regularly drive around for long stretches), and we are flying out around his bedtime, so I am going to put him in his PJ's and hope he sleeps all the way there. We will then stay in a hotel and have a car ride afterwards. We are taking his car seat and I ordered the Go Go Travelmate (it arrived this past weekend) for him as well. Wish us luck!
Debbie
April 14, 2008 at 10:16 p.m.

HCY,
Have a wonderful trip. I bet your little guy will do great.

Debbie
jen laceda
http://jenlaceda.blogspot.com/
February 19, 2009 at 6:32 a.m.

I like the idea of an mp3 player full of her fave songs. Would you suggest to indulge and bring a portable dvd player for kids?
Melissa Bryner
February 28, 2009 at 2:36 p.m.

We are traveling to Hawaii in May and are a little worried about the flight home. It is a red-eye flight, and we have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. I will have the 3 year old in a car seat, and the one year old in my lap. I am concerend that they won't sleep no matter what we do. The one year old won't sleep anywhere but in her crib. Any suggestions on how to make them sleep?
Mallory
March 6, 2009 at 12:08 a.m.

I am traveling to South Africa alone with my two year old daughter in June and am so nervous! The flight is 25+ hours and I really don't know how she is going to handle it! This website has given great tips! I know she will hopefully sleep for 15 hours of the flight. I plan on brining a dvd player because nothing captures her attention like Spongebob! Would you suggest buying a cheap stroller at my destination or trying to bring mine with me. I've already to decided to lug her carseat with us because we will be traveling by car all over SA and i'd rather be safe than sorry! I have alot of anxiety when flying and usually tame it with Zanex but I know i wont be able to with my daughter there! Any advice to calm a nervous mother down? I am also so concerned with the jetlag, it is a 9 hour difference!
Regan
September 10, 2009 at 3:19 a.m.

Wanted to share what worked so well for me on a recent trip that I took with my 13 month old daughter from Hawaii direct to Atlanta, GA. I was extremely nervous because I was traveling with my daughter alone. Fortunately, I was seated in an empty row (two seats on the side, putting my daughter in her car seat in the window seat.) I always keep diaper pins in my bag, for mishaps (like fixing a nursing bra or my daughters ripped pants), so I waited until my daughter fell asleep and I pinned one end of the airplane blanket to the top of her car seat and then the other end to the back of the seat in front of her. LIFESAVER!! Once the cabin got dark (red-eye flight), all the babies fell asleep. As soon as the adults started getting bored, reading lights were being turned on and off all over the place, waking up all the kids and filling the plane with tired cries. My daughter was the only one to sleep through the entire flight in her little tent. She woke up 20 minutes before we landed, just as the attendants were handing out yogurt. By the time I fed her the yogurt, we landed! I have shared the airplane tent idea with all the moms I know. Hope it helps you guys!