When it comes to surviving the plane ride, the best piece of advice I ever got about traveling with kids is just to ACCEPT the fact that you’re traveling with kids!  So plan ahead and bring as many things that you can think of to keep your baby occupied and comfortable.  If you have to resort to “old ways” to get your child to settle down, then do so.  Just know that as soon as you land, its back to the plan!

Well-rested children handle jet lag much better than sleep-deprived adults.  If your baby has had a great schedule leading up to the trip, he should slide into the new time zone without too much trouble.  It is best to adjust to the new time zone as quickly as you can.

If you really feel like your baby needs an extra nap to catch up a bit, try to limit it to 45 minutes.  Try not to let her nap too close to bedtime.  If it’s a choice between a strangely timed dinner-hour nap or an earlier bedtime, I suggest you go with the slightly earlier bedtime.

Sunlight is a useful tool in helping both you and your baby adjust to the new time zone, since light is the most powerful time cue our bodies have.  Try to plan meals and socializing around the new time zone as well, and get an hour or two of fresh air in the early afternoon.

Make sure you do just the opposite when evening rolls around.  Use the blackout blinds, and keep light to a minimum a couple of hours before you want your baby to go to bed.  This will help stimulate melatonin production, making him sleeper

In spite of their best efforts, many parents find themselves reverting back to old, familiar sleep props with their children when they travel.  If you find that it’s all fallen apart in just a week or two, the good news is that it’s just as easy to get back on track within a week or two, too! So as soon as you get home, start your plan over, speeding it up by two nights at each step – and hold tight to the memory that your child is capable of doing this!  He just needs a push in the right direction from you!