Holiday Travel Tips for the Best Toddler Sleep

Headed to the in-laws over the holidays?

Two parents, two kids, one guest room—and approximately zero chance of sleep. Sound familiar? Let’s fix that.

In this post, I’m sharing my Top 5 holiday travel sleep tips for toddlers so you can actually enjoy the season (and maybe even sleep in a little). Whether you’re flying across the country or just staying with family for a few nights, these tips will help you keep your child’s sleep on track—without losing your mind in the process.

If you want to go even deeper, I put together a free guide with 10 holiday sleep tips for toddlers that covers everything from managing time zone changes to making unfamiliar rooms feel cozy and safe.

Tip #1: Don’t start a habit you don’t want to keep

There’s a saying about toddlers: give an inch and they’ll take a mile—maybe even your entire holiday season! 

The fastest way to derail your child’s sleep routine is to start a new habit you don’t actually want to keep once January rolls around.

If your goal is for your toddler to sleep independently in their own bed, letting them bunk with you at Grandma’s—even for a few nights—can send mixed signals and undo your hard work. The same goes for other shortcuts that sneak in during busy family visits.

• If you don’t want middle-of-the-night wakeups, but bring your child into your bed when they cry, you’re unintentionally reinforcing co-sleeping.

• If you’re trying to avoid bedtime battles but hand over the iPad so you can rejoin the party, get ready for that bedtime screen request to stick around long after the holidays.

Toddlers are true creatures of habit. Even one or two nights of a new routine can quickly become their new normal. Once you’re home again, they might decide they’d rather sleep in your bed, or they might test whether another bedtime tantrum will earn them that iPad again.

So before you pack your bags, decide on your non-negotiables. If you don’t co-sleep at home, skip it at Grandma’s. If you don’t offer screens at bedtime, hold that line. Enforcing loving boundaries now means a smoother transition—and much happier nights—when the holidays are over.

Tip #2: Prioritize toddler sleep like you prioritize meals

You wouldn’t head to the playground with your kid at noon without lunch, right? Treat toddler sleep the same way. It’s a basic biological need, not a luxury.

Well-rested toddlers are kinder, more flexible, and way more fun to be around. So, plan family activities around nap time when possible. If your toddler’s day is extra busy, bedtime probably needs to be earlier, not later. And if you stretch bedtime one night for a late event, balance it with an early bedtime the next day or a longer nap.

When your toddler naps well or goes to bed without a fight, make it a big deal! Pour on the praise! Have Grandma, Uncle Mike, the whole holiday crew celebrate those great toddler sleep wins.

Tip #3: Create a ‘separate’ sleep space (even if you’re room-sharing)

Like I mentioned in Tip #1, if you sleep in separate beds at home and want to keep it that way, avoid co-sleeping while you travel.

Here are a few simple ways to keep everyone’s sleep spaces separate (and peaceful):

• In a hotel: Request a rollaway cot or use a pull-out couch.

• At Grandma’s: Bring an inflatable toddler bed or make a cozy floor pallet with couch cushions and a sleeping bag.

• For extra privacy: Pack a small pop-up kids’ tent to create a dark, enclosed space—then make it sound exciting: “Your cozy holiday fort!”

And one pro tip: if you’re trying something new, practice for a night at home before the trip so it’s familiar and fun when you travel.

Tip #4: Align with your partner before the trip 

A middle-of-the-night parenting debate about “what do we do, he’s crying?” is… not exactly festive.

Before you travel (or before house guests arrive), take ten minutes to align on the sleep plan:

• Where will your child sleep?

• What’s the bedtime routine?

• If they wake overnight, who goes in—and how will you respond?

• Are you allowing them to sleep with you?

• Who’s the “point parent” each night? (You can take turns, but someone should be in charge.)

  
  

When you’ve talked through these scenarios beforehand, you’ll make calmer, more confident choices at 2 a.m.—and everyone gets back to sleep faster.

Tip #5: Get home and get back on track fast

Once you’re back home, help your toddler’s sleep get back on track right away. Gently explain the change in simple language:

“At Grandma’s, we slept in the same bed. But at home, you sleep in your bed. That’s how our family does it.”

Then follow through on night one. Bring back your regular bedtime routine—the same steps, same order, same lights out.

And if things went a little off the rails (it happens!), don’t stress. Use a short-term reward system for a week—stickers, high-fives, or a special breakfast—to rebuild positive sleep habits and momentum.

Your Holiday Toddler Sleep Survival Game Plan

Alright—now you have your holiday sleep game plan:

1. No new sleep habits you don’t want to bring home with you.

2. Plan sleep like you do meals—protect naps and bedtime.

3. Give kids a separate sleep space.

4. Align with your partner on sleep rules before you travel.

5. Reset fast when you get home.

   
   

If this helped, grab my free guide ‘10 Holiday Sleep Tips for Toddlers’—it includes five more practical tips, packing checklist, and a simple re-entry script. Happy holidays!