Surviving Toddler Jet Lag – tips and tricks!

We love traveling with our toddlers but I do not love toddler jet lag. In this guide we will tell you all of our tips and tricks for surviving toddler jet that we have learnt after traveling the world with our toddler. 

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Surviving Toddler Jet lag Tips and Tricks

As we have been lucky to travel around the world with our toddler, we have learnt to deal with toddler jet lag going west and going east, and dealing with it in both the destination and jet lag on returning home. 

In this section of our guide we will tell you all the tips we have learnt that has helped make surviving toddler jet lag easier. 

Make the Journey as Comfortable as Possible.

There is nothing is worse than a small and tired child in a small space. On the plane, we let our little one sleep as she wants as I prefer to deal with the effects of jet lag off the plane.

We try and make the journey as comfortable as possible for them as we travel. Ways in which we try to do this include ringing ahead and seeing if you can get a bassinet for a little one, if they aren’t too big. Or using sleep aids for older children.  

WE find the easiest place to be with a toddler on a plane is business class where you can recline your chair into a bed and let them get a good nights sleep. However this is not realistic for every journey for toddlers. 

Bring Sleep Cues

We have a good bedtime routine when we are at home with our toddler which includes having baths, brushing teeth and changing into pyjamas and reading a story. 

Although there is no way to really recreate the bedtime routine of home on a plane you can bring sleep cues that will help them know it is sleep time while on the plane. 

For instance, we will usually bring pyjamas for our little one to change into once they have eaten dinner and they are meant to be sleeping. 

If they have a cuddly toy or stuffy or even a blanket that they use at home to help them go to sleep, bring it with you on the plane as it will help them to drift off on the plane too. 

However whatever you do make sure that you don’t lose it on the plane! 

Use Sleep Aids

I love that there are now so many products on the market that can help little ones sleep on the plane. 

For instance there is:

• Jetkids Bed Box
• Plane Pal
• Flyaway Bed

to name just a few. 

However if you do decide to try and use some of these sleep aids be sure to check with the airline you are flying with before travel. Some airlines ban certain sleep aids on planes and this is very much a case by case thing rather than a universal ruling so it is important to know your airlines rules. 

Adjust to the local time on the plane

Whenever I travel, whether it is with my toddler or not I always set my watch to the local time when I get on the plane.

This way you have a rough idea of what time of day and the activities you should be doing are at the destination. 

Now I never force my toddler to sleep when they are not tired on a plane as they just makes for a stressful and unhappy situation for everyone involved. However it is good to know where you should be and help you work out how the plane naps will affect the bedtime at your destination. 

Select your Arrival Accommodation Well

And once you are off the plane we recommend selecting your accommodation wisely, Think about what things will be important to you when you are dealing with jet lag. 

For instance is it important to you to have a kitchen and fridge for you to be able to make snacks and milk when dealing with jet lag. 

Also you may want to consider how far you are willing to travel to your accommodation. For instance if you think you all are going to be super tired and want to get to bed then you may want to stay at an airport hotel. 

However if you plan on trying to stay up at your destination and are happy for your toddler to have a quick nap then staying somewhere further away from the airport may be the right choice for your family. 

Eat the Correct Meals at the Correct Time of Day

For me, one of the things that helps my body get on the right time zone is eating the right meal at the right time of day.

For instance eating breakfast in the morning even if it feels like dinner time to you.

I don’t know whether this is a physical and psychological effect but it does tend to help my family get over the jet lag. 

Remember to Pack Snacks

And although it is important that you have the right meals at your right time, children may wake up hungry when dealing with jet lag.  

In my opinion there is one thing worse than a jet lagged toddler and that is a hangry toddler. 

For this reasons we always pack plenty of snacks for out little one both for on the plane but also for on arrival before you get chance to go to the supermarket after arrival. 

However just be cautious about the snacks you bring if you are traveling internationally with your toddler be sure that you only pack things that do not contravene your destinations customs laws. Generally speaking fresh fruit, vegetables, and dairy are on the no no list. However be sure to check the rules before travel. 

And if you are looking for tips on getting through airport security with a baby or toddler check out this post.

Stick to your Bedtime Routine

If you have a bedtime routine at home then I strongly advise you to stick to this routine at your destination.

Children know their routines and it may help to prepare them  to go bed when they might not be feeling tired. For us it is bath, story and lights out. 

Also if your child has a stuffy or cuddly toy they use at nighttime then be sure to pack it. But whatever you do make sure you don’t lose it while you are traveling. 

Dark Room

For my kids nothing helps sleep more than a dark room.

Depending on where you are traveling will depend what the daylight hours are. If you are doing an Alaska Cruise with a toddler or baby for instance you will find that there are long daylight hours so you may want to travel with portable black out blind like this one for destinations such as this. 

Get Outside into the Sunshine

And if dark helps sleep, then the same is true for light during the daytime.

Nothing helps a body clock reset quicker than exposure to sunlight.

No matter whether we are traveling west to east, or east to west then we also make sure we get outside and into the sunshine to help reset your internal body clock. 

Other Tips for Toddler Jet Lag

Split up your journey

Why not think about splitting your journey if you are worried about toddler jet lag.

If you are travelling a long distance, you could stop somewhere in the middle so it isn’t such an extreme time jump.

For instance, for those doing a Kangaroo route from the UK to Australia and vice verse there are some great stopover deals on Airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Ethihad and Singapore Airlines to name just a few.

What is the best time flight for flying with toddlers?

A question we often get asked when talking about surviving toddler jet lag is whether it is best to do a day or night flight.

In truth I don’t think the rule is universal so I would say do what you think is best for you and your family! Or pick the cheapest!

Until the age of 2 for our little girl it was definitely best to go overnight but on her second birthday it was as if a switch was hit and suddenly night flights weren’t our best option.

What are your tips for surviving toddler jet lag? We would love to hear in the comments below