Summer Sleep Guide
Summer Sleep Travel Guide
It feels like we’ve been trapped at home for an eternity. But now that the weather is warming up and people are leaving their homes, parents are packing up and getting ready to travel with their children on vacations. Here are my top items for traveling with your little ones.
- A Slumber Pod
This amazing invention allows you to room share with your baby while giving them their own “room”. I don’t travel often, but when I do I’ve always struggled to find a place for baby that still allows me and my husband to keep the lights on after 7pm. Of course a bathroom works in a bind, but it’s so convenient to be able to set up your Pack n Play in it’s own little tent while you keep the lights on outside. The Slumber Pod has a fan in some models to prevent overheating in the tent, but if your model doesn’t have the fan, you can just add one inside. This is a game changer for travel room sharing. And as an added bonus, you can use my affiliate code SLEEPYMAMA20 at slumberpod.com
- A Portable White Noise Machine
Parents often worry that their children will become addicted to white noise if they use it as a baby. While there is a level of habit that’s associated with white noise, the benefits far outweigh the fear of “addiction” while traveling. If you are traveling, there’s absolutely no need to lug around a huge machine. In your sleep space, just hook up your phone or tablet and download a white noise program to run on a loop. But, if you want your baby to get the best sleep on the go, attach a small white noise machine to their stroller or car seat. White noise help to diffuse the peaks in background sounds. It won’t stop noise altogether, but it will help make any outside noise a little less startling to your child. Check out these great portable options:
Marpac Rohm Travel Sound Machine
Marpac Baby Soother Sound Machine
- Temporary Blackout Shades
Blackout shades are a must! Whether at home or traveling, it’s so important to reduce outside stimuli for naps and for early morning wakeups. When I first began in this business, the only travel options were trash bags and tin foil taped onto the window. But now there are some great options that are temporary and reusable so you can bring them with you anytime you travel. To be fair however, I still have contractor trash bags (you need the extra thick ones) on my children’s windows.
Tommee Tippee GrowAnywhere Shades
- SnoozeShade
Similar to the Slumber Pod, the SnoozeShade also can be used for blacking out a travel crib. While really meant for a play yard or travel crib vs. hotel crib, the big benefit of the Snooze Shade is that you can easily pack it in any suitcase. The fabric is also really breathable (and includes a mesh panel), so you don’t have to worry about your baby overheating. I’d say the Snooze Shade is probably best for younger babies, but I used it with success with my 2 yr old. I just left one of the top parts open so he could stand, so it wasn’t completely blackout, but it did a really great job. The company also offers a mesh stroller sunshade that is great for those vacation naps on the go. Use code: SLEEPYMAMA for 10% off.
By purchasing through these affiliate links, I do receive a small commission but any and all recommendations are due to me loving the product and have nothing to do with payment.
And finally…if you feel like travel or the summer has thrown off your child’s sleep and you just need a quick refresher, I’m offering a summer sleep special. Check out my special package here.