Keys to Encouraging Great Sleep for Your Baby While Sharing a Hotel Room
OK so let’s be real mama’s … how many hotel rooms ACTUALLY have extra rooms… and if they do, then it’s a big bill for a couple weeks if you’re away. So most likely you’ll have your baby or toddler in your room while in a hotel or resort right? Right.
And I don’t blame you, we do the same thing because I don’t mind having my little girl in our room and it would actually make me a little nervous not being near her while away. So here are my tips for doing hotel life!!
If you can get a room that has a separate living area that’s awesome, however, if you can’t don’t panic!
Here’s what I’d do and HAVE done!
The first thing I do is let my little one get used to the space while I unpack and get her bed ready. One big reason for wake ups while babies are away is because they’re not familiar with where they’re sleeping. There’s strange shapes, shadows and sounds – I sure don’t sleep like a rock on night one so why wouldn’t I be patient while she adjusts.
Second thing is to find a good spot for her crib/bed. If I don’t have a divided room then I have two options:
My preference is to have a walk in wardrobe or a lobby style spot that I can put her in, even a bathroom works so she isn’t woken by us hanging out.
Alternatively, I create a tent so she feels like she has her own room. This way a soft light turned on or a quiet TV isn’t going to be the end of the world. Because we travel with a car seat, I wrap it with a sheet and then use this sheet to create a divider.
Because I DO NOT want to go to bed at 7pm with my daughter, we get creative, if she has her own space then we are able to hang out in the room. The other option is to bring the baby monitor and we hang out in the lobby or space outside the room. This way we can see the door, and we have the monitor to see the baby.
If baby awakes at night, go into their space/tent and help them get back to sleep. If your baby doesn’t sleep through the night, then it is likely because they’re unsure of where they are and they need some reassurance. If you need to do a bit of a reset by redoing the end of the bedtime routine then that is OK too!
Now I know that some people always swap their babies over when it comes to time zones, but to be honest with hotels, if you are only away for 4-6 days then keep them on your original time zone. This is what we do with a 3 hour difference, and then she is OK to be up later and will sleep in during the mornings. However, if it is longer than 4-6 days then I full swap her over to where we are.
The reality is that hotels are just a little different when you have a baby, and this is one reason why Airbnb’s are so popular with traveling families. Remember that your child needs sleep to enjoy the next day. One 24 hour period affects the next, so stop for a minute and consider what parts of the trip are most important for your baby to be well rested for.
If you're going to be flying to your destination, you're going to want to watch my video for tips on flying with a baby.✈️ Click the video below!
Sleep Sweetly,
Anna