Travel to West Coast with toddler
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Looking for advice from seasoned travelers. We will be going to Seattle for a week for Christmas.We have done the trip before, but DD is two now. She is sleeping well, finally, and I am not sure what to do about naps and bedtime when we are there. It does not make a ton of sense to have her go to bed at 4:30 Seattle time (bed time here is 7:30 start - asleep by 8). But,the idea of keeping her up until 10 pm DC time also seems foolish. Do I split the difference? Do I just have her stay up and deal with the ramifications when we get back home? Do I plan on being in the hotel room alone while others go out for dinner? I am really not sure what the best plan is. Short term fun messing up sleep and having a rough week back would not make me happy. But, I also want to spend time with my siblings for the holidays.
FWIW - the last time we were out there was when she was one, so I was less concerned about sleep, since she would sometimes wake up multiple times a night and sometimes sleep through the night. TIA! |
Anonymous
|
I'm on the west coast now, with my 18 month old. The time change really hadn't been such a big deal with her.
Day 1 -- arrived at destination 11pm PST, so it was the middle of the night for her. She woke up when the plane landed and fell back asleep during the car ride. She was awake again briefly when I took her out of the car but then got her into bed and she back to sleep easily. Day 2 -- woke up at 4:30am PST. That was rough. Pushed her to stay awake until 10am and she napped well and went to bed for the night around 6pm. Day 3 -- woke up 4:45. Argh! (not her fault -- it was her older sister that woke everyone up). Napped super early that day, like 8-11am. Then napped again from 4-6pm. Then went to bed around 9pm. Day 4 -- woke up around 7am. Napped 11-1. Bedtime around 7:30. Back to normal! |
Anonymous
| I think you have to get her on Seattle time, and fast, so you can see your siblings, she can see family, etc. What time will you get there? If she sleeps on the plane maybe she can make it to 7pm Seattle time the first night, get enough sleep and then she'll get on track? I think some off this you'll need to play by ear.... |
Anonymous
| Have her stay up for as long as she can. As long as she's not the kind of kid that goes crazy when overtired... |
Anonymous
|
We do this trip often. Is your DD on one nap? What we usually do is take a daytime flight that lands around 2/3pm. Sometimes DD napped on the plane, sometimes not. At her normal EST bedtime (so 4:30pm PST in your case), we put her down for a one hour nap. Woke her up at 5:30 PST and then did dinner, bath, playtime with relatives, etc. And the. Put her to bed for real at 7:30pm PST. The key to getting them to stay up longer that first day, which is key, is to be outside in the sunlight which helps their bodies recognize its daytime.
The first day we usually get a 5am wake up, but it gets better each day. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| I find the return is the bigger problem. |
Anonymous
|
Pp - do you mean that you find it harder once you get back to get her back to normal sleep / bedtime? Kid wants to stay up later? Any tips for that?
/ |
Anonymous
Yes but I have no tips. Even I feel pretty jet lagged when I return. Would love some tips from others. |