Should I Sleep Train My Baby Before Our Vacation? 

Ahhh, vacation. Adventurous excursions, relaxing on the beach with a drink in you hand, and coming home feeling refreshed and restored. Right? Well, that used to be what I thought of, and then I had kids! I've honestly stopped referring to our trips as vacation, and now I say that we're traveling. It just seems like a more accurate picture of what we're doing! 

Don't get me wrong; traveling with kids (while hard) is amazing! There's nothing like seeing our kids' joy, and watching them delight in having new experiences. When our kids are grown and it's back to just my husband and I, I know I'll long for the days of traveling with our littles. 

For me, one of the things that makes vacations run a little more smoothly is that we stick to our kids' bedtime while on vacation so that they get the sleep they need to avoid having  major overtired-induced meltdowns. We stick to their bedtime routines as well, and hold the kids to the same sleep expectations that we have for them at home while we're away. This makes a HUGE difference!

So, should you sleep train before vacation so that your kids sleep well while you're away, or is traveling just going to ruin all of the sleep progress that you made while sleep training?  Here are a few things that I ask clients to consider when making this decision:

• How long do you have before you leave for vacation? If the answer is 3 weeks or more, sleep train away! If you're leaving in less than 3 weeks, it's not a definite that your child's new routines and sleep patterns will be solid enough to stick during vacation or to bounce right back after vacation,

• Will you be home for at least a full week after vacation? Once you return from vacation, especially if you have recently sleep trained, you want to make sure you have a full week to get things back on track. If you're consistent, it's likely that bouncing back with only take 2-3 nights, but it's nice to  have a full week just in case.

• What will your schedule /the sleep arrangements be during your vacation? This question is slightly less important than the other 2, but it might be the one that helps you lock in your decision if you're on the fence. If you are in the camp that vacation is made for late nights, sleeping on the go, and slumber parties, sleep training before you go really isn't go to do anything to help you on vacation. However, if you're hoping that getting some good sleep while on vacation will keep your kids more regulated, thus leading to more fun, then sleep training beforehand is a good way to go. 

Check out my blog post on how to maximize sleep on vacation and what to do when you return to get back on track! Ready to get all the tips and tricks NOW for managing your little ones' sleep while you're away? Check out my Guide to Maximizing Sleep While Traveling.

Ready to make big changes to your child's sleep but unsure of where to start? This is exactly what I'm here for! Book your free 20 minute conversation with me to get started.