Travelling with Kids
Family holidays don’t have to be a sleepless disaster!
Lucy Bartlett, founder of Bundle Beds – portable travel beds for kids that act like their own bed away from home – is a huge fan of travel & adventure. We asked her for her top tips when travelling with kids to ensure that you have the best family adventures, because everyone has a great night’s sleep.
Sleep is without doubt our most precious commodity, even more so since becoming a parent! One of the reasons that we set up Bundle Beds was to avoid visits to family & friends, or family holidays going pear shaped because of over-tired kids… We're all about making getting out and about with the family that little bit easier, and most importantly ensuring that everyone sleeps well! As big fans of family travel ourselves, we’ve got a few tricks up our PJ sleeves to ensure the whole family are recharged and ready to go every morning…
MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME
Holidays or trips away can be unsettling for the kids if they’re not sure where they are, so we try to keep a familiar sleep space to help them settle down. Our boys always sleep with the same snuggly at night and have a nightlight in their room, so we always bring those. Although it's another thing to pack, it's worth it to keep kids content in their new space. Also, when they’re not in their own bed, our two are of course in Bundle Beds! They really do create a familiar and safe sleep space for them to snuggle into, acting like their own bed, away from home. And to make them feel even more at home, you could try a practise night in the Bundle Beds before you leave so that they know what to expect. (If you're not sure which bed to pick, then do take a look at our comparison chart for Bundle Beds to help you decide...). And for the little ones still in a travel cot, bring a bottom sheet and blanket from home so that they have familiar smells to feel at home with.
KEEP YOUR NORMAL BEDTIME ROUTINE
We try to stick to a similar bedtime routine and timings to back home. (They're usually tucked up by 7pm at home, and we usually get them into bed by 8pm when we're away). We give them a bath or shower (we’ve been known to use a bucket or the sink when they were babies!), give their teeth a good brush, cosy up in PJs and then have bedtime stories in their Bundle Beds. Knowing what’s coming next always helps to keep them calm and in control.
GET PLENTY FRESH AIR AND NATURAL LIGHT
No adventure is complete without Grass & Air clothing – whatever the weather. Getting dressed and heading out to get as much natural light as possible during the day, especially in the morning, really helps to encourage a great night’s sleep for kids. Bright light suppresses melatonin, which helps children to feel awake and alert during the day and sleepy towards bedtime. And I don't know about you, but a blast of fresh air (especially sea air) before dinner time always helps to make our boys sleep better at night.
CALM DOWN TO SLEEP
It’s so easy to just whizz back and get the kids straight into bed after getting carried away exploring new places. Taking 5-10 minutes to have a chilled moment can help make the bedtime routine go that little bit more smoothly. We tend to lie on the Bundle Beds or snuggle on the sofa before story time and each of us pick our favourite part of the day. We also have a chat about the plans for the following day so that they go to sleep knowing what adventures lie ahead.
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