Published by Actually Sleeping · Reviewed by Dr. Samantha Abrahamson, PharmD · Review policy · Updated 2026-11-10

How do I keep my baby sleeping while traveling or changing time zones?

Keep sleep safe first: a crib or play yard, your baby on their back, nothing else in it, and never an adult bed or sofa. Across time zones, adult data suggest the body clock shifts about 1 hour a day after flying east and a little faster after flying west. A baby who already falls asleep independently usually copes with travel far better.

Safe sleep away from home

Same rules as home: on the back, on a firm, flat surface, alone, nothing else in the sleep space.
Bring or request a crib or play yard that meets current safety standards. Inspect a hotel or rental crib: firm, snug-fitting mattress, no broken or missing parts, no added padding. Use a play yard as the manufacturer supplied it, with no extra mattress or padding added.
Not an adult bed, sofa, or cushion nest, even for one night. Couches and armchairs are never safe places for babies to sleep.
Car seats and strollers are for travel. Sleeping in a car seat while riding is expected; when you arrive, move your baby to a firm, flat sleep surface as soon as you can.
Scan the room: blind cords, loose cables, anything a baby can reach from the crib. Never drape a cover over the crib.

If your baby already struggles to sleep at home, travel tends to make it louder. Actually Sleeping fixes the underlying sleep, so a trip becomes a few off nights rather than a new problem to unpick.

What travel does to sleep

Travel removes the cues your baby relies on: their room, their light, their routine, often their schedule. A baby who falls asleep on their own in their crib usually carries that skill to a play yard in a hotel. A baby who needs feeding, rocking or holding to fall asleep needs the same help in a strange room, more often, and that help easily becomes the new normal by the end of the trip.

Time zones

The body clock does not reset when the plane lands. Light, meals and activity move it a little each day. Adult data from the CDC suggest the clock shifts about 1 hour a day after flying east and about 1.5 hours a day after flying west. Eastward travel (bedtime arrives before the body is ready) is usually harder than westward (early mornings for a few days), because the body clock shifts later more easily than earlier. Morning light helps after flying east. There is little research in babies, so expect variation.

Whether to stay on home time or switch to local time depends on the size of the change, the length of the trip, and your baby. A short trip across one or two zones is a different problem from two weeks across six.

In transit

On planes and long drives, sleep happens where it can: feeding, holding and motion are all fine while traveling. Sedating medicines are not a travel tool; see over-the-counter medicines and infant sleep.

How Actually Sleeping families handle trips

Families working with Actually Sleeping plan upcoming trips with their coach: when to travel relative to the start of the plan, which time to keep, and how to get back to baseline at home. Where there is a choice, a plan usually leaves about two weeks between the start of sleep training and a trip. Because Dr. Sam writes the plan for your baby and check-ins are daily and 1:1, the plan can flex around the trip rather than being thrown out by it. Parents talk about life after coaching in our client video reviews.

If you have a trip coming up and sleep is already fragile, book a free consultation and we will plan around your dates.

Want this fixed for your baby?

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Frequently asked

Should I keep my baby on home time when traveling?

It depends on the size of the time change, the length of the trip and your baby. Small differences and short trips are often easiest on home time; bigger, longer ones usually need a shift. Families in a Actually Sleeping plan get the timing for their trip from their coach.

How long does jet lag last in babies?

There is little research in babies. Adult data suggest the body clock shifts about 1 hour a day after flying east and 1.5 hours after flying west, and strong morning light and consistent local mealtimes help.

Can my baby sleep in my bed just for the trip?

The AAP advises against bed-sharing, and unfamiliar adult beds and soft bedding add risk. Use a crib or play yard that meets safety standards, in your room, with nothing in it but the fitted sheet.

Will travel undo sleep training?

It can cause a few off nights. A baby who falls asleep independently usually returns to baseline soon after getting home. Families in a Actually Sleeping plan have their coach to help them back on track in the daily check-ins.