Staying in a hotel with young kids can be a lot of things, but easy is not one that comes to mind. When my husband and I travel with our kids, we try to find a balance between honoring their sleep needs and loosening up a bit, and letting some of the rules slide. But really, when we aren’t sleeping well, it makes it a whole lot harder to have fun while on vacation.
If you’ve struggled with getting good sleep while staying in a hotel room, these tips can lead you in the direction of getting all the benefits of a good night’s sleep while away from home.
Hotel Room Options
Hands down, I always choose to stay in a rental house over a hotel room for obvious reasons. There are separate sleep spaces allowing for better nighttime sleep, as well as space for naps, and you can hang out in the living room when the kiddos are asleep without being held captive in a pitch-dark room. When I’m divvying up the vacation budget, a significant amount goes to comfortable accommodations. Sometimes, that’s just not an option and a hotel room it is.
The Adjoining, The Suite, and The Standard
An adjoining room can be a lifesaver if it's in your budget. There’s one room for the kids and one room for the adults. The best part about it is that you can close the door to the kid’s room and still enjoy a few hours of ‘Me Time’ before going to sleep yourself. I personally love watching TV in bed in a hotel because I don’t have a TV in my room at home. It’s such a treat.
A hotel suite is typically one room that has some sort of division between the bed and a small living space. It’s not always totally private, but some separation is better than none.
A standard double hotel room is a room with 2 beds. This is not ideal, but you can definitely make it work. And hey, just think of it as a slumber party. The kids will practically lose their minds at the idea of everyone sleeping in one room together.
When you’re in a standard room there are a few ways to make bedtime successful
Allowing your kiddos to fall asleep without you in the room is vital.
If there is an option to have a room with a balcony or patio, take it! Having a place to hang out after you tuck the kids into bed will make the evenings much more enjoyable.
No patio, no problem. You’re going to set up the monitor, grab your iPad and a glass of wine and get cozy in the hallway or bathroom. Think of it as an adventure.
Once the littles are asleep you can sneak back in. If your kiddos will sleep through the dim light of your phone or iPad, consider yourself lucky. If you’re pretty sure your kids will sense your secret screen time, hunker down in the hallway or bathroom a bit longer until you’re ready to hit the hay, too.
How to Make It Work
Take the time beforehand to get things in place so that the hotel stay goes as smoothly as possible. Now, if you’ve already got great sleepers, these tips will keep their sleep intact.
If you’ve got bedtime battles, multiple-night wakings, or chronic early mornings AND have 2-4 weeks before your vacation, I highly recommend teaching your littles to be champion sleepers before the trip. It makes traveling so much easier. Schedule a 15-minute discovery call with me and we can talk about ways to make that happen.
Give the Kids the Tour
When you get to the hotel room, let the kids explore the room and have a little fun. Once they’ve settled down, get the sleep arrangements set up. Blow up the air mattress, set up the travel crib, or show the kids which bed they’ll be sleeping in.
Don’t Change the Bedtime Routine
The familiarity of the bedtime routine will help your kiddos settle and know what’s coming next - sleep. So include the same steps, in the same order, just like you do at home.
Avoid Overtiredness
If there’s one culprit to bedtime battles, it's overtiredness. It masks itself as hyperactivity in babies and kids and will make it difficult for your kids to fall asleep. Watch the wake window (here’s a handy sleep chart for you to print out) before bedtime and make sure they get daytime sleep if still napping.
What to Bring
Here’s a list of my travel ‘must haves’:
Slumberpod. It’s the absolute best invention as it fits over a travel crib or toddler mattress and serves as a visual barrier and is made of blackout fabric. For $20 off your purchase use code ANDIMETZLERSLEEPCONSULTING
White noise machine
Blackout shades. Sleepout shades are a great travel option. Of course, you can also use black trashbags and some tape.
Sleepsack and your child’s comfort item
Toddler clock or the Hatch if you use one at home
Recap
Traveling with kids is a lot more enjoyable when everyone gets a good night’s sleep. Pack your suitcase with necessities to make your little ones comfortable and aligned to the type of hotel accommodations you choose.
P.S. Don’t forget to schedule a discovery call with me if you’d like help teaching your baby, toddler or preschooler how to be a rockstar sleeper before your vacation.