Travel

TJ1979

Sorry for two in a row, but I'm a needy B today.

Ugh, why is E so bad with travel?!?!  She doesn't nap worth a crap if we're away from home, and she's up every hour at night.  I understand that she's excited about all the new stuff and people going on.  But then when we get home she's over tired and still can't sleep.  We only spent one night away from home.  The first night back at home, she was up every hour, last night she was up every 3 hours.  And it's not like her normal waking up where we can play music or pat her and shush her.  It's nursing her for a minimum of 30 minutes followed by rocking and shushing and patting.  And MH just gives up because he can't get her to sleep with the shushing and patting, so it's all me.  Hello, I still work full time too.  And last night MH went to a baseball game so I was solo all evening too.  

Sorry to be so whiny.  But can I ever expect her to get better at this?  Will she always be hard to travel with?  I want us to take a family vacation to Mexico so badly, but if there will be no sleep while we're there, plus no sleep when we get back, it's not so much of a relaxing vacation, you know?  Anyone else's LO terrible at traveling?  Anyone have any tips?

pb_bride

I'm sorry TJ, that's really hard work on you and E.  I know you didn't think you were ready for sleep training before, but perhaps you'll consider it again?  Life is so much better for us (and I mean, all 3 of us) when M learned to put himself to sleep for naps and at night, as well as put himself back to sleep when he wakes up MOTN.  He's a much happier baby now that he's getting enough sleep every day and every night.

Also, where does E nap/sleep when you travel?  I was really nervous last month when we took M on his first vacation - worried that he wouldn't be able to sleep/nap in a different environment.  I ended up putting him in our PnP for naps for a couple of days prior to our trip (he usually naps in his crib), and I took the PnP sheet with us. The 1st night he slept in our PnP when we were at my ILs. The following 2 nights he slept in a different PnP at the hotel but with our own sheet.  I don't know if that helped or perhaps (knock on wood) M is just easy-going in that aspect, as he slept the same as he normally did at home.

GL to you and I hope naps and sleep comes easier for E soon! 

srveatch

I am not sure how A will travel but we leave Friday to go to the beach for three nights.  We recently sleep trained with her.  The first night she cried for twenty minutes before falling asleep and slept the whole night.  The second night she talked for two minutes and fell asleep and slept the whole night.  Last night, the third night she talked for a few minutes before falling asleep but woke up at 2:30 and cried.  DH and I hadn't had to sleep train in the middle of the night since this started and we failed.  I went and got her and nursed her back to sleep, she was up at 5:30 again.  I hope she remembers how to talk herself to sleep tonight

TJ1979

I guess we need to do more research on sleep training. When she starts crying though, she just gets more and more worked up.
At home on a normal basis she sleeps great. We put her to bed very drowsy but not quite asleep, and she typically sleeps all night. She naps on her own no problem. It's just being away from home. Or I guess it's the extra stimulation b she does it when we have company too.
She sleeps in her crib at home and the PNP in trips. So perhaps more practice with the PNP at home will help.

pb_bride

TJ1979:

I guess we need to do more research on sleep training. When she starts crying though, she just gets more and more worked up. At home on a normal basis she sleeps great. We put her to bed very drowsy but not quite asleep, and she typically sleeps all night. She naps on her own no problem. It's just being away from home. Or I guess it's the extra stimulation b she does it when we have company too. She sleeps in her crib at home and the PNP in trips. So perhaps more practice with the PNP at home will help.

Ah, TJ, sounds like E is doing fine w/sleeping & napping at home, so I guess you don't really need sleep training.  Maybe just trying to let her sleep in the PnP at home so she gets used to it might help?  Also, does E have a lovey and do you take it w/you on trips?  We did that for M; again, not sure if that made a difference or we're just lucky to have an easy-going baby.

mdiblasi10

TJ - I remember you saying (I think it was you) that you use a humidifier at home like we do, that provides some white noise for sleeping. Do you have something you bring with you when you travel? Or did you already try that? It's a tough one when they normally sleep great. It's kind of like us though - I don't seem to sleep as well when I am away from home. Good luck!

TJ1979

mdiblasi10:

TJ I remember you saying I think it was you that you use a humidifier at home like we do, that provides some white noise for sleeping. Do you have something you bring with you when you travel? Or did you already try that? It's a tough one when they normally sleep great. It's kind of like us though I don't seem to sleep as well when I am away from home. Good luck!

That was the suggestion last time I complained about this, so we tried that this time. Still no luck.

cbubbles2

G is 19 months and is just getting better about sleeping in a hotel or away from home. I attribute it to us being in the same room so he won't wake up and talk in his crib or even fall back asleep like he would at home if he woke too early. Hopefully she gets more used to it as she gets older. G was never up during the night though. If this is unusual for her maybe she's working on a tooth?