Strategies for Easing Your Baby's Jet Lag While Traveling

When I chose to visit Portugal with my 10-week-old, I was well aware of the horror stories surrounding travel with an infant. If I took them to heart, my baby would be wailing the entire flight, my husband and I would have to curtail our adventures, and I'd find myself breastfeeding in awkward spots.

Surprisingly, none of that came true. Well, I did end up nursing in a castle — but that turned out to be quite enjoyable. The toughest aspect of traveling abroad with a newborn? The jet lag.

I anticipated that sleep would be disrupted for both of us, but I wasn't ready for the challenging six-hour time difference. Had we gone further, it could have been even more intense. Fortunately, he adapted to Portugal time fairly quickly after our overnight flight. Coming back, though, was a different matter entirely. We faced several sleepless nights, and I worried I had permanently disrupted his sleep routine.

In my exhausted state, I did what any weary mom would do: I searched for solutions to combat jet lag with a baby. To my surprise, there wasn’t a comprehensive guide addressing this tricky time shift, especially for newborns. To support other parents aiming to navigate time zones with their little ones, I consulted certified infant and child sleep consultant Lauren Wolf for her expert tips on preventing and managing baby jet lag.

Here's TPG's ultimate guide to preparing for and managing jet lag when traveling with a baby:

Pre-Travel Tips

Wolf suggests allowing one day for adjustment for each time zone crossed. Therefore, if you're traveling from New York to California, be prepared for your children to take about three days to acclimate to the new time zone, give or take.

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What can you do in advance to ease the transition? "To get ready before your trip, consider gradually adjusting your child's naps and bedtime later a few days prior to your departure," she advises.

For instance, if your child typically sleeps from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., and you're traveling from New York to Colorado (a two-hour time difference), you could adjust their sleep schedule to 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. a few days before the trip and during your stay, then revert back to normal once you return home.

Modifying nap schedules and sleep routines

Short trips with infants can be enjoyable, but even minor time changes can disrupt their routines in unexpected ways. "If your trip is brief, you might opt to keep your child on their usual time zone," Wolf advises, especially if you're only crossing one or two time zones.

However, if you're facing a three- or four-hour time difference, you'll need to adjust your baby's bedtime to help them adapt.

Using the example of traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast, "Upon arrival, your child may feel inclined to sleep three hours earlier than usual. If their standard bedtime is 7 p.m., they might be ready for bed by 4 p.m. Pacific Time. It's advisable to keep them awake as long as possible on the first night. Even delaying their bedtime by an hour can facilitate quicker adjustment," Wolf explains.

If you're heading east, such as from California to New York, your child will likely want to sleep three hours later than usual. If their typical bedtime is 7 p.m., they may not be ready for bed until around 10 p.m. This requires a different approach—what can you do?

"It's tough to make your child sleep when they aren’t feeling tired. My suggestion for eastbound travel is to aim for bedtime about 30 minutes earlier than usual (so 9:30 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. local time)," Wolf advises. "Then, wake them at their regular time the next morning. This can help reset their internal clock for the next day."

Scheduling activities

Planning that European getaway or a trip to Hawaii? Prepare for a few potentially challenging days ahead. "When traveling internationally or across several time zones, it may take at least a week for kids to fully adjust," cautions Wolf.

What’s her advice for easing the transition?

"If possible, schedule the more active parts of your trip toward the end, as the initial days are likely to be the toughest," she advises. "Additionally, while traveling and upon your return, it's crucial to keep naps at their usual length. Children often compensate for lost nighttime sleep or jet lag with lengthy naps, which can hinder their adjustment to the new time zone."

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Sunlight Exposure

I’ve flown on numerous long-haul flights to Asia with many infants, so taking a long trip with your little one is certainly doable. Just be ready for some significant time adjustments.

Wolf notes that there isn't much difference in strategy for an eight-hour flight compared to a 12-hour one. Strive to adapt to the new time zone as swiftly as possible by being mindful of light exposure and your internal body clock.

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"By adjusting mealtimes immediately, our body's sleep patterns often align as well," Wolf explains. "Don’t stress about which time zone you’re in while flying. Just aim to eat and sleep as you normally would, and once you arrive at your destination, begin to adjust accordingly," she advises.

She further emphasizes, "Upon arrival, make a concerted effort to quickly adapt to the local time zone. Spend as much time outdoors during the day to help your child get sunlight exposure, which is crucial for resetting their circadian rhythms. When it's time for naps or bedtime, ensure the room is dark (like a cave) to create an ideal sleep environment."

Returning home

Always take your jet lag into account when planning daily activities, both during your trip and after returning home. Without the excitement of your vacation, transitioning back to everyday life can feel significantly more challenging.

I personally like to schedule a few relaxed days after returning from vacation to help my baby get back to a normal sleep routine. Having a long weekend to readjust really helped my husband and me cope with those first few challenging nights at home. If possible, aim to arrive home on a Friday so everyone has some time to adjust before the workweek starts on Monday.