Travel Help

Based on my own experience I think you need to put the pack-n-play in a different room to simulate some place different and practice.

Your daughter is a little bit older than mine, (I have a 5-month old), but we've traveled out of town twice and once out of state since she's been born. The first time was the first time she slept in her own pnp and it was hard, mostly I think because we were all sleeping in the same room. She has slept in her crib since she was 3 weeks old. The second time was out of state in a different pnp and that was an absolute nightmare. She was up almost every hour and then wouldn't go back to sleep, but again we were all sleeping in the same room. It was so bad I seriously considered flying home early due to so much lack of sleep. The third time she was in her own pnp and she did a bit better, but not by much. I don't know if she was so used to sleeping in her crib or what. The next time I go I would use the same crib sheet and blankets- unwashed and also something of yours- unwashed that has your scent on it. I've heard that it works, but have never personally tried it. I would go that route and I really hope it works for you. Another idea is if you use a sound machine(the thing that sounds like an ocean or another noise) bring that and try putting her in the quietest place in the room. We have since started using a sound machine at home and this definately helps. You can pick them up at Babies R Us for about $20. Good Luck!!

Good morning. We travel often with our 4 little boys, so I have a lot of helpful tips!:-) If it is just sleeping, here is what has worked for me. My twins roll around a lot, so pnp did not work well for us and there is usually not room for 2 anyway. If we were in a hotel, i simply asked for extra comforters(most hotels are happy to do this), and doubled it up on the floor, actually more cushion than the pnp anyway. Then they sleep much better. I bring a bag of their favorite toys and that helps. Bringing your own sheets/blankets is a great idea. I find that when we travel, they get so worn out from the ride and the activity while traveling, the sleeping is usually not a problem. I do bring our travel DVD players into the hotel room and put on a baby einstein dvd to help them fall to sleep...
If you have a suite, I also take the pull out bed mattress from the couch and put that on the floor, that works well too...
GOOD LUCK AND SAFE TRAVELS!!!
J.

Some hotels do have rooms with a crip in it - that may help her to feel more secure than sleeping the pnp. Best of luck!

I have a 2 year old and a 7 mo old and niether of them have ever slept anywhere other then their beds before. Just last weekend we went away for a quick getaway before we tried a big trip the 2 year old was fine and we brought our pnp for the 7 month old. He never has selpt in there though He did wake up a couple of times and I just held him got him back to sleep and put him back in the pnp. It worked for the one night but it might get old after a couple of days. Good luck and have fun!!!

A white noise maker is a life saver. The best thing is a big box fan. Start it at home, continue it on your trip.

In my experience, my kids (and my daughter is quite a difficult one), have always done better than i anticipate when we travel. She may wake up a bit, but they're usually so tired after a day of vacationing that they sleep well! I also bring along the crib sheet and all stuffed animals, etc. it seems to help.

Good luck!

I think that if you have her sleep in the pnp for her naps the week before, that would be a fabulous plan. Also bringing her own blankets & securities is a great plan as well! BTW...most hotels have cribs & they provide sheets along with them. I understand completely if you don't want to use them, but I have used them and they are clean and sturdy and we don't have to pack another item in our already crammed van. Have fun!

I'd try it for a few nights in the pnp before you leave just to get her used to it but when kids are away from home they often have a difficult time with the different noises in the room....a white noise machine might be good to use too. I have 4 kids and we just never expected to sleep much on the first night of vacation. I wish I would have had a white noise machine when they were little. She should get used to the pnp. My 3 boys slept great in ours all the time on trips but my daughter hated the pnp. She just prefered her bed at home. Just don't let her sleep in the bed with you or you will have to break her of that when you get home. Have a great vacation!!!

Dear C L,
We went on vacation one time. We put our little boy in a p&p too. We put him in it a few times before we left. The first night there he didn't sleep good. We forgot his blanket that Grandma made herself. The next night we covered him up with his sister's blanket that grandma made & he slept all night. Try her out a few times before leaving in a p&p. & make sure you bring her favorite things to sleep with. Good Luck.
L. W.
A SAHM of 3 girls & 1 boy

I think it's worth a try to do her naps in the pnp for a bit before you go. But, I think you might fair better if you put it in a different room. If she is upset and longing for HER own crib or bed, and she can see it, she'll be confused. I also like the white noise idea.
If it still doesn't mesh well with her, you can try having her fall asleep in the big bed at the hotel while she watches a 'boring' movie... some of the older ones are slow moving so that might help. Once she's very soundly sleeping, you can transfer her over.
When my son was a baby, I would sometimes take him for long walks along the halls (only if he was not crying) until he fell asleep. If you have a stroller that lays flat, she could sleep in there long enough for a nap. Once she's asleep, wheel right back to your room and park her in a quiet corner. (But keep it close to your bed so if she wakes up, you'll hear her right away. She's old enough to crawl out of her stroller I'd guess.)

We are going on our first family vacation next month with our 6 month old and I have been pondering the same issue. This is what we have decided to do. We are going to buy a Peapod for her to sleep in. It's wonderful and only $50 bucks. It suits babies to small children so you'll be a able to use it for years. It's nice bc it zippers shut if you want so they can't come out and it protects them from bugs, etc. Good for indoor and outdoor use. It has a little mattress that blows up with a little hand pump that comes with it and then slides into its own compartment so that your child can't roll under it. Also, it's under 5lbs and can be folded and packed in your suit case!
I plan on putting it in her crib for naps and then on the floor to get her used to sleeping in it before we leave. This product got great reviews from parents on babiesrus.com. I included the link you can copy and paste to see it. Happy travels!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=271904...

I have traveled with all three of my kids when they were in a pack n play or now in a bed. Probably, no matter what you try to do before, she probably won't sleep as well as she does at home. Most kids are just like adults, in trying to get used to a new bed, and surroundings. My best advice is don't expect too much, and try not to be stressed about her sleep. She will catch up when you get home(and so will you!). Also, I have found that my kids(even my 16 month old) won't nap(or for as long), no matter how tired they are, so try not to worry about that too much either. Over Christmas break we went away for a couple of days, and my 3 year old passed out in his dinner at 5:30 because he was so exhausted. Of course, then he was up at 9pm and didn't fall asleep again until midnight. That was a ton of fun! But really, it's to be expected on vacation! As far as trying the pack n play at home, my opinion would be to let her sleep as well as possible before you leave, so that she's well rested, but that's just me :). It might be worth a try though.

Good luck!

I think it is a good idea to try it before you leave. I have three boys and the two older ones did have issues sleeping away from home the first couple of times that we went away. Better to be safe than sorry!