Why does my daughter sleep so much better on vacation?

[LoveBWVVBR]

I have a 2 year-old (just turned 2) who is a terrible sleeper. She wakes up all night long when we're at home. On a typical night I'd say that she wakes up a bare minimum of 5 times and usually more like 10+. We just went to Disney for 5 nights over XMas week. She woke up once or twice a night while we were there. This is a very good night's sleep for her. We go to Disney frequently for overnight trips since we live 1.5 hours away and are DVC members. This isn't the first time she's slept well there. I'm at my wits' end trying to figure this out. I frequently come home from Disney wondering why she sleeps so much better there than she does at home.

She wasn't more active there than she is at home. At home, she's in every activity in town and does a lot of physical activity from morning until nighttime. At Disney, she spent most of the time in her stroller. DH thinks that maybe Disney is a mentally stimulating environment for her and that helps her sleep well there. I want to determine whether or not that is the case, because if it is, perhaps we need to think seriously about putting her into a mentally stimulating preschool now. Maybe Gymboree class and gymnastics class just aren't cutting it for her. Thank you for any thoughts on this.

 

[tanyaandallie]

Does she sleep somewhere different while at Disney (with you/in the same room as you)?

I do think that Disney is soooo much for kids that it just wears them out! Even when they spend the day in the stroller, it's so much sensory stimulation/overload that they are just worn out!!

 

[DawnM]

I second the wearing them out thing!

Dawn

 

[barnaby1]

I have 2 thoughts on this (and they are just thoughts as I obviously don't know exactly what activities your daughter does at home) but could it be that she is maybe doing too many activities at home or as you said more physical than mentally stimulating ones. I am luckily blessed with a great sleeper (almost 2) but the only time she doesn't sleep well is when she is overtired.
My second thought is could it be as simple as you being in the room with her on holiday.

 

[puffkin]

My son sleeps well there too (and he sleeps good at home too). I think it is from the overstimulation and excitement. Also, the rooms get VERY dark there with the blackout shades which seems to help my son.

 

[inloveindisney]

hmm, the dark thing could be a possibility. I actually noticed this sleep thing on my recent trip as well. My daughter usually wakes up once, but lately she's been waking up twice and we had decided taht we were going to work on getting rid of that second one once we returned.
Then, she slept through the night/only woke once while in Disney. I couldn't believe it because I just assumed she'd wake up more being in a different environmnet. She also took way better naps (3 a day with no crying). Getting ready for bed at night, she would cry and squirm until I turned off all of the lights in the room (too much stimulation otherwise) and then within just a few minutes, she was out.
Now, I'm beginning to think that her having a night light (we use it mainly for ourselves so we don't have to turn the big light on in the middle of the night) at home could be causing extra wakeups. I suppose if she wakes up during a normal wakeup and sees lights and things to look at, she is more prone to stay awake instead of go back to sleep on her own. I think I might try this out tomorrow night.