babies and jet lag!!!!

[lexie32]

To all of you brave people who have taken babies to see the mouse, how do you adjust their body clocks??? my ds will be 11 months when we go in sept and currently sleeps 7pm to 7am gmt very happily, and will nap in his stroller during the day when we are out. This is great but i do not want to get up at 2am us time every day on my holiday!! any ideas???

 

[Clare D]

Keep them awake as long as possible on the day that you arrive, hopefully getting them to bed at the same time as you would in the UK but in the local time. You will probably find he is a bit grumpy on the first day and may sleep quite a bit in the stroller. Make sure he drinks quite a bit though and is kept cool and then he may stay awake longer.
My DS had just turned 2 when we went and after the first day he was fine, staying up until 10pm on a couple of nights of we went out.
Go with the flow though and if he is grummpy take some time out.
Once we got home though DS was sleeping until 11am gone in the morning - bliss. Within a week he was back to his usual 7-7 routine.
You'll have a great time and will find that he may stay awake as so much is going on around him but then nap later
ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY

 

[KayleeUK]

I will follow this thread with interest Lexie as next year when we go our baby will be 11 months old. I would be interested to know how you get on, please post when you get back.

 

[kristieuk]

We have travelled to the US many times with our daughter now aged 5 - she has adapted better than anyone to the time change, and it's never caused us a problem.

I don't know, but maybe children are just more adept to going to bed when its dark and getting up when it's light - they are less concerned about the time and what they should or shouldn't be doing at that time. I may have just been lucky though!

I think that the best advice is to try if possible to get them into the same time routine as they have at home - you may find that it's out by an hour or two, but that the sleeping time is the same, particularly if you are out later than at home.

Good luck!

 

[kevin harrison]

It won't be so bad when you arrive, my daughter quickly adapted...

It's coming back that's difficult, she wouldn't go to bed untill 2am for a week!!

 

[mrsminniemouse]

I agree with Kevin. Coming home is when the jet lag manifests itself. Our DD has flown to Florida 4 times (at 6months, 11 months, 16 months, 23 months)

We have no problems in the US but when we get home it can be very difficult. She goes to bed ok but wakes up after a couple of hours ready to play. To her it seems as if she has had her afternoon nap, not the 'big sleep' She wakes up just as we are ready to go to bed and then sleeps late in the morning. It is horrible but only lasts 3 or 4 days. Keeping her up very late for the first few nights home helps as does flying home at night so she sleeps a bit on the plane and wakes in time for landing which for us is usually early morning UK time.

It is difficult, but so worth it! DD has always been a good sleeper. She sleeps brilliantly while we are there, she even sleeps in the buggy which she wont do at home. The heat, activity and excitement wear them out.

Have fun!
Mandy

 

[alisonbestford]

Just take care not to let him get overtired
I've learned from my own mistakes that you're more likely to run into problems if you try to keep kids awake until YOU think they should be tired
It's very much a case of trial and error but, as Kevin has noticed, it seems to be the returning home that's more of a problem - for ALL of us in our case

 

[kevin harrison]

She goes to bed ok but wakes up after a couple of hours ready to play. To her it seems as if she has had her afternoon nap, not the 'big sleep' She wakes up just as we are ready to go to bed and then sleeps late in the morning

LOL - that's exactly it, I remember being amazed when at 9pm on the first night back home Hannah went to sleep, we realised at 11pm when she was awake again, that that was her afternoon nap!!! Glad it just isn't us!!

 

[SammieG]

we have had good times and had bad times. My son took his first Disney trip at just over 1 year. He was up pretty early in the morning for about a week! We take 2 trips a year, and in general I would say he has been pretty good. We have had a few trips where he has been up and awake at 2am... and that is.. he's not going back to sleep!!
It gets later and later during the holiday usually.... but those first few days CAN be hell.

So as not to frazzle yourself out, take it in turns with your partner/friend/parent to get up and look after the child. You MUST keep the child on US time as soon as you are there. - so if they are up at 2am.. then tough.. they are up until nap time..

do not let them sleep longer at nap time.. get them up after the hour or two that they usually have.

Good luck!!

Incidentally comng back has never been a problem for us.

 

[lexie32]

thanyou all for your tips and suggestions! Kayleeuk i will do a just got back post and let you know how we got on!!

 

[Celestine]

What a great thread! DD will be 4 months when we go in October, but I now feel a bit more confident that I will get to see something rather than becoming some sort of nocturnal creature!