Jet Lag and kids! Transitioning Time Zones more smoothly

So what’s worse than facing jet lag? Dealing with jet lag whilst also caring for a jet lagged baby! Don’t shoot the messenger but sadly jet lag is inevitable and unavoidable when crossing several time zones. That’s just the way our bodies work. But the good news is, I’ve pulled together the following guide to help you deal with and minimize the effects of jet lag for your little one. As always my approach is about flexibility.  When you’re on vacation, you want to enjoy your time and not feel restricted by rigid schedules and timings. So aim to get enough sleep to avoid overtiredness completely spoiling your vacation but beyond that, these are just guidelines. During travel, flex as you need. Once you get back home, you can get your sleep schedule back on track again.

Is it worth altering the schedule?

Experts say that jet lag lasts, on average, for about a day for every hour of time change. If you’re only dealing with a small time difference, it’s probably slightly easier to adjust into the new time zone. Likewise, if your trip is very short you might decide it’s not worth it to fully adjust at all. However, if the time difference is large, say 8 hours for example, it’s probably not very feasible to spend 8 days of your vacation adjusting to a new schedule! That said, from personal experience I know that it’s not always easy or realistic to jump straight into the new time zone either. Our bodies just simply can’t do it! So I prefer a practical approach that’s somewhere in the middle. I typically recommend being flexible for the first few days. These are always the toughest so it’s about doing whatever you need to do to get through the days as rested as possible. Then from about the 3^rd day onwards, you can start to get your little one onto the new time zone routine.

Pre-travel Tips

• Pre-departure routine adjustments – Up to a week before travel, you can gradually shift your child’s bedtime and wake up timings (try 15 minutes earlier/later every 2 days) This can help to reduce the time difference gap that you’ll face on arrival.
• Sleep well before departure- Do whatever you can to be as well rested as possible before departure. Starting off overtired will only exacerbate the jetlag.
• Travel prepared – Have plenty of healthy snack options to hand on your travel day. Avoid sugary snacks and juices. Too much sugar will just make sleep even more difficult.
• Keep things familiar –  Remember to pack any favorite Pajamas, toy, blanket, pillow etc. Once baby’s asleep, it will help them to stay that way if their surroundings are similar to the ones they’re used to.

Transitioning into the new time zone 

Day 1 – The first few days can be difficult. That’s normal and to be expected. The goal for arrival day is simply to get through it!

1. Let baby sleep when they are tired. If that happens to align with the new timezone, great! But if it doesn’t (which is more than likely!) that’s ok. It’s just day 1. Flex naptimes and bedtime as needed. If your new time zone is ahead of where you came from, maybe your baby won’t feel ready to sleep at bedtime. A later bedtime is ok. If your new timezone is behind your point of origin, it’s likely that your little one will still need a little more sleep on your arrival day, in order to stretch through to bedtime. An extra nap can really help. Just try to avoid baby sleeping through too much of the day as this will prolong the jet lag. Also be sure to leave enough space between waking up from the last nap and bedtime so that there’s time for fatigue to build up and baby is sleepy enough to go down for the night at bedtime.
2. Get outside to help reset the body clock. Luckily, our bodies have an inherent ability to adapt to new time zones based on the light/dark cycle, so you’ll have nature working on your side. Exposure to sunlight during the day charges up our melatonin production and helps get the circadian rhythm adjusted quickly to the new time zone. Take a baby carrier / stroller with you so you can manage naps on the go and still get outside!
3. Dim the lights if possible, an hour before bedtime the first few nights to encourage melatonin production. 

4. Stick to your bedtime routine – A predictable bedtime routine sends signals to the brain that sleep is near, so the brain starts preparing for it by initiating melatonin production, relaxing the muscles, and slowing down mental activity. So whatever your baby’s bedtime routine is at home, stick as closely to it as you can. Taking a favourite or familiar book can be a great help too! Likewise, a completely dark room is one of the best tools for helping little ones get to sleep and stay asleep. So black out any external light sources before baby’s bedtime. Portable black out blinds are great but garbage bags do just the trick too!
5. Managing the night – Expect the first night to be very disrupted! When baby wakes up, keep lights low and noise to a minimum to encourage more sleep. Have a few quiet activities to hand, like books, puzzles etc. Do your best to avoid phones & tablets as the light they emit interferes with melatonin and will just make it much more difficult to fall asleep. If they are awake for a while, you may wish to offer water / milk. Constipation and diarrhea are two very common symptoms of jet lag.

Day 2 

1. Set a morning wake up alarm – Yes, I know this sounds horrific but you want to avoid sleeping in too late. In the morning, wake baby up as close to their usual wake up time (in the new timezone) as reasonable. If the first night was particularly tough, allowing an extra hour or two of sleep in the morning is also ok but avoid sleeping in all morning, as this will just prolong the jetlag effect.
2. Get outside as soon as possible, for daylight to help work its magic!
3. Naptimes – It’s normal for Baby to be tired. Let them nap when they need but keep total nap time as close to normal if you don’t want to be up all night again. That might mean waking baby up from naps to preserve later nap times / bedtime.
4. Feeds – Try your best to offer feeds/meals roughly in line with the new time zone .
5. Night two – Typically the 2^nd night will likely still involve periods of being awake. Handle them the same as the first night and try and encourage your little one back to sleep.

Day 3

• Set a morning wake up alarm–On day 3, make this their usual wake up time (in the new timezone). Fixing wake up time in this way, really anchors the nap times, feeding and bedtime.
• Daytime Routine – From here onwards, keep naptimes and bedtime in line with the new timezone. This will nudge your little one onto the new time zone.

Fortunately, with young babies, jet lag doesn’t tend to last quite as long and with multiple naps per day, there are more opportunities to start adjusting to the new time zone. Until things are more settled, balance getting sleep with adjusting to the new time zone and use a stroller / baby carrier, to allow you to start enjoying your new destination, whilst managing naps on the go.