June 2, 2026, 8:33 a.m.
If you’re planning a vacation this summer with your kids, Kendra Krietsch, PhD, pediatric psychologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, offers smart sleep tips for smoother travel.
- Sleep routines can be more relaxed while on vacation without causing harm.
- Adjust bedtime if a flight or a drive disrupts your child’s sleep, and try to get back on track the next day.
- Familiar cues—like a shower, pajamas, books, songs, or a comfort item—help signal to a child’s brain that it’s time to sleep in a new place.
- Give young, independent sleepers their own space, like a pack-and-play, air mattress, or sleeping bag, if possible.
- If your child co-sleeps while traveling, explain that vacation sleep is temporary and everyone will return to their own beds at home.
- Teens should only sleep a few hours past their normal wake-up time to make the transition back home easier.
