Sleep away from home (newborns)
Sleeping away from home refers to any time your baby is away from the house for the night. It may not happen often but being thrown out of routine by going on holiday, seeing family or spending time in hospital can all be challenging for your baby’s sleep.
Some helpful tips and advice on optimising sleep when you and your baby are away from the home include:
Plan ahead and be flexible
Be patient and understand disruptions are a normal part of sleeping away from home. The more you plan and organise in advance, the more likely you are to minimise those disruptions.
Pack the essentials
This will include the necessities like nappies and blankets.
Source a travel crib
Know if the accommodation where you are staying has adequate facilities and equipment, including a crib for your baby. If this isn’t the case, see if you could bring your own or hire one for the time you are away.
Make sure the room is dark
If the room is unfamiliar, it becomes more important that the environment for sleep is as comfortable as possible, which includes things like blackout blinds or reducing the light from external bright lights.
Prioritise safety
In a new environment, make sure safety is still number one when putting your child to sleep. See SIDS and safe sleep for more information.
Stick to a bedtime routine
Even though the environment may be foreign for your child, you can replicate the habits you do at home with a similar bedtime routine. See Bedtime routines for more information.
See Sleep away from home (sleepovers) for more information and tips.