Are you returning home after a time change with a baby that’s completely off schedule?
Last Pesach, we were fortunate enough to take our three-month-old to meet his great-grandparents. In order to do so, we had to travel 9,000 miles, and juggle a whopping 10 hour time difference. It was a priceless trip, one we’ll cherish forever, regardless of the time delays – however if we’re being honest, the jet lag was also pretty unforgettable.
This summer, with Hashem’s help, we’re hoping to repeat the same trip. Now, we’ll be taking a 20-month-old 9,000 miles away…four planes, an Amtrak train, and I’m certain more than a few Ubers mixed in as well. Gulp.
We learned many lessons about jet lag with our little one last year, and while I have yet to learn (the hard way) about toddler jet lag, many of the tips are applicable for small children – even past the infant stage.
Here are my six tips for navigating jet lag with a baby (plus a seventh tip from the BCP team):
1. On the Plane, Anything Goes. While you’re in transit, there are no rules (beyond safety). Let them sleep if they want to sleep. Eat when they want to eat, etc. Goal is just to survive the flight in one piece. Pack as many extra diapers as you can fit in your diaper bag, and for nursing mamas – I highly recommend this lightweight cotton 360 coverage nursing wrap. For my toddler this summer, I’m adding a whole bag of haven’t-seen-for-a-while-toys, and my husband is bracing himself to chase this active kiddo up and down the aisles.
2. Get Them on the New Schedule. It might be tough love, but it’s worth it in the long run. You want to try and get your kiddo on the new schedule of the place you’ve arrived in ASAP. Arrive in the AM, and everyone is exhausted? Try to push till 5:00 PM… then the next night push till 6:00 PM, etc. For an infant who needs frequent naps, don’t let them nap for longer than 2 hours at a time during the day. (Trust me, you will majorly regret this otherwise.) In between naps, try to keep them stimulated, take them outside in the sun, and strip them down to their diaper for feeds since it’s hard to fall asleep when not super cuddly (provided your infant is warm enough!). You want to keep them awake for the age-appropriate wake window before allowing that next nap. On the other hand, if you arrive in the middle of the night and everyone is wide awake – still try to go through the night routine in a dark room. Try to rest together, and don’t turn on the lights until at least 5 AM, as hard as it may be. Your baby might be playing, but as long as it’s in a darkened room with mellow stimulation – just take a breath and know you’re doing the best you can.
*The next few tips are important for after you return*
3. Sleep When They Sleep. Our first day back home, my baby fell asleep at 3 PM…for the night. I had yet to learn the no-more-than-two-hours-per-nap rule. I unpacked everything, schmoozed with my neighbor, ran the laundry and stayed up till 10 PM, trying to “force myself on schedule,” only to get into bed – exhausted at 10, and wake up at 11:30 with a jubilantly playful baby who wanted to play all night long. Try to push until at least 5 PM, but ultimately if the kiddo is down for the night, make sure you rest then too.
4. Budget in Recovery Time. Thankfully, last time we traveled I still had some maternity leave left when we got back, so even though the recovery was slow, I had the space to slog through it. This time around, I’ve saved vacation time for after we return (yes, even though it means I’ll have to work while visiting the family). This way, even if we’re all sleep-deprived and falling apart, I don’t have to also try and juggle work on top of everything else. If you have this flexibility, I highly recommend it.
5. Rise and Sunshine. Sunshine does wonders for resetting your circadian rhythms. Try to get out bright and early every morning, and expose your kiddo to the sunshine. Even if you have no koach, a short walk around the block, or just sitting on the front door step, helps a ton. I remember sleep-walking my way to Shacharis with my baby in tow, using the excuse of “picking up my husband from shul” to push ourselves to get some early AM rays.
6. Do What You Gotta Do. Bath time, singing, clapping. Ultimately, between naps and during the day, you want to do everything possible to try and keep your baby awake. For a little baby who can snooze easily, this is hard. We found that lively singing and clapping was a great first line of defense, and when that failed, an elongated bath time helped. I remember sitting next to my baby in the bath for close to an hour, with him wide-eyed and happily wiggling in the warm water.
7. BCP Editor’s Tip: Be Patient. From experience, we’ve found that it takes about one day for every hour of jet lag for a baby to return to a normal schedule.
I’m prepared to learn a lot at our next go-round with a toddler b’ezras Hashem, but hope that these tips can help me, and anyone else traveling with a little one this summer.
Safe and happy travels!
Wow super helpful and insightful! Hopefully this is gonna be easier for me next time around 🙂