Travel, time zones and sleep

This guide is general information only and isn't a substitute for medical advice. If you're concerned about your child's health, or they're unwell, please see a doctor.

Travel with a young child is worth it, and sleep will wobble. That's normal and temporary. The aim isn't perfect sleep on the road; it's keeping enough rhythm that everyone can enjoy the trip and reset quickly when you get home.

Short trips and small time differences

For a weekend away or a one to two hour time difference (say, crossing between Australian states), don't overthink it. Keep bedtime and naps at roughly the usual body-clock times and let small differences slide. A tired, happy child on holiday beats a rigid schedule nobody can keep.

Bigger time zones

The Sleep Health Foundation's advice is simple. For a short trip of only a day or two, stay on home time: eat and sleep roughly when you would at home. If you are away for more than two or three days, start using the destination's time as soon as possible, including on the plane.

You will often hear a rule of thumb that you need one day of adjustment per time zone crossed. Treat it with caution, because it falls apart on exactly the routes Australian families tend to fly. Sydney to the UK is a nine to eleven hour difference depending on daylight saving, and the literal maths would have you adjusting for a fortnight. That is neither realistic nor useful advice.

In practice the first two or three days are the hardest, and most families find the worst has passed within about a week. The Sleep Health Foundation says adjusting to a new time zone usually takes at least two or three days. Direction matters too: as a general rule it is easier to push a body clock later than to drag it earlier, which is part of why some routes feel worse than others.

Light does most of the work. Daylight and activity in the local morning, a dark and calm room at local bedtime, and meals on local time all pull the body clock across, and getting outside on arrival helps more than almost anything else.

One caution: standard jet-lag advice about melatonin, caffeine and alcohol is written for adults and does not transfer to children. Don't give your child melatonin or any other sleep medication without talking to your GP first.

Sleep environment on the road

Familiar cues travel well. Bring the infant sleeping bag, a comforter if your child is over 12 months, a familiar bedtime book, and portable blackout if you can. Red Nose recommends keeping soft toys and comforters out of the sleep space from birth to seven months and ideally for the first 12 months. For babies under twelve months, recreate a safe sleep space wherever you stay: a firm, flat surface, a clear cot or travel cot that meets safety standards, baby on the back, and no loose bedding.

Getting back to normal

The reset at home is usually faster than the adjustment away. Go straight back to your normal routine and correct local times, lean on morning light, and expect two to seven days for things to feel normal again. Don't start new sleep training in the middle of a trip; wait until you're home and settled.

Lower your expectations for the trip itself, too. A holiday is not the time to defend a perfect schedule, and a slightly under-slept but happy child on a good family break is a completely fine outcome. Keep the safe-sleep basics without compromise, hold a loose version of the routine, and save any real sleep work for when you're back in your own home.

Sources

• Red Nose Australia, Safe sleeping guide
• Raising Children Network, Baby sleep 2 to 12 months
• Red Nose Australia, Soft toys and comforters
• Sleep Health Foundation, Tips to help combat jet lag

Last updated: July 2026. Sources include Red Nose Australia and Raising Children Network where cited above. This guide is general information only. For individual concerns, see your GP or child health nurse.