One of the logistics that can be difficult to figure out when vacationing with kids is how and where they sleep! This varies greatly by age and by what kind of sleepers your kids may be. To be honest, our kids have generally always been pretty good sleepers. They play hard and sleep hard. We don’t have any great secrets but we take a few steps to help us manage sleep. Because grown-ups need sleep too!
Consider Other Options Besides a Hotel
We love hotels because it usually means free breakfast, a pool, and housekeeping. Sometimes, though, a different lodging option might be best. AirBnB and VRBO have options for entire houses or apartments that could allow the kids their own room. This can make nap times and bedtimes easier and give you a space to relax away from kids.
If you stay with family or friends, there may be limited options for where everyone can sleep. Even if everyone sleeps in one room, having a living space to escape to is still an added benefit of staying in a house instead of a hotel. When we’ve stayed with my parents, we’ve prioritized the kids having their own space where we can close the door and let them sleep in their own room while we set up our own sleeping space in the shared living room.
Find Family-Friendly Suites
Similar to the benefits of staying in a house instead of a single hotel room, hotels with suites can be beneficial because they offer an extra, separate space in addition tot he sleeping area. Some hotels offer suites that have completely separate bedrooms and some just have small half-walls or barriers to the living area. Look closely at the hotel’s website to see what suite or family-friendly options may be available. Hyatt Place is one of our favorites because they offer pull-out couches and a “living” area separated by only a half-wall from the bedroom. Also, as a benefit of our Hyatt Hotel status, we are automatically upgraded to suites at many of their hotels. including the Hyatt Regency New Orleans and Hyatt Hill Country pictured below.
Pack 'n Plays and Multiple Beds
If your kids are still small enough to need a crib, a portable playard is a great option. It allows for safe sleeping, and you don’t have to worry about them rolling out and getting hurt. Many hotels offer these instead of rolling cribs but both are great and safe options for little kids. If you’re driving and have room, you may consider packing one from home but if we’re flying, we’ll call ahead to the hotel to reserve one. Many AirBnbs also offer these now.
Be creative about where you place the playard. A closet might be an option to get out of sight or a corner out of the way with limited sight views.
Once the kids are bigger and can safely sleep without safety barriers, there will be easier options available. Our kids are still pretty little (3 and 6) and can often sleep comfortably on couches even if they’re not extended to beds. We usually prefer to get suites with a king bed for adults and a pull-out couch for kids to share. The hotel is always willing to provide extra blankets
Bring Items from Home
If your little one has a favorite lovey or stuffy, make sure to bring it with you! Ellie has a blue bear that we double and triple check before every trip. If your little still uses a pacifier, make sure they have a few extra so you don’t have to search for it at 2am when they need it most. Other items from home that may be comforting to have could include a noise machine, special night light, or a favorite bedtime story
Bedtime!
When it’s bedtime, it’s bedtime. Whatever you do at home, try to do the same at the hotel. When both kids were very small, they used velcro sleep sacks. Once they’re snuggly, we close the blinds, make the room dark and everyone is quiet, except for some music. White noise or lullaby music can be from a sleep toy or a phone playing a Youtube lullaby playlist.
Consider Altering Schedules and Bedtimes
If you have more than one kid, consider altering bedtimes. When Ellie was younger and needed naps while Carter had grown out of naps and didn’t need as early of a bedtime, we would often leave Ben to put Ellie to bed. When she was a little baby, that sometimes meant rocking, while Carter and I would walk around the hotel or hang out in the lobby for 15 minutes to give her a head start.
When Ellie was 2, the mid-afternoon nap was key to a successful day and a happy family. We would put a trip back to the hotel during the day into our plans and, often, Ben would lay with her in bed while Carter and I would get some alone time.
Now that they’re both older and have grown out of naps, we often play until everyone is exhausted, then no one needs encouragement to go to sleep. Of course, there’s a fine line between fun exhausted and miserable exhausted so do what works best for your family and everyone’s preferred sleep schedules.
Bonus tip from Carter
Use pillows or blankets to make a barrier between kids so little sisters who like to cuddle don’t smother their big brother! ❤️
