Will a family visit to Canada disrupt my baby’s sleep pattern?
Jane has just finished a sleep programme with Millpond and Sam her six month old son is now sleeping well. Jane is planning a visit family in Canada to introduce them to Sam and she was very worried how the long haul flight and time difference will impact on his new sleep routine. We thought we would share our advice with you.
Millpond’s Sleep Solution:
We advised Jane that on her arrival in Canada, Sam will want to go to sleep earlier than his “normal” UK bedtime.
To help shift his body clock so he sleeps later, we suggested she take him out in the light in the afternoon; light will suppress melatonin production and help to adjust his body clock.
A short but late nap will also help shift his body clock so when doing his usual winding down bedtime routine he will be calm and relaxed ready to drift off to sleep already adjusted to Canadian time.
Top tips for travelling with your baby or child:
Holidays by their very nature represent a change in routine which some children find hard to cope with and long flights in particular can create problems with your children’s sleep. Try to fly by day and as soon as you get onto the plane adjust your eating and sleeping times to your country of destination. This will get you onto local time as soon as possible. Also make sure you are well hydrated during your flight.
Travelling East to West is the easiest time change for our body clocks to cope with, however to prepare for the clock change, a few days before you leave put your little one to bed later and get him up later than his usual sleep wake times.
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