Need sleeping advice for a toddler in hotel room!

[mrshandy]

I'm honestly a little terrified about how this is going to go.

We're going to VA Beach this weekend and a friend is coming with us to watch DS while we run in a half marathon Sunday.

DS is 2 and currently sleeps in his toddler bed. He can probably climb out of his Pack and Play so I don't think we're bringing it.

I'm really scared that DS is not going to sleep in his bed and how we're going to get him to sleep. Now we just lock him in his baby proofed room and he eventually goes to sleep in his toddler bed sometimes the floor.

This isn't an option in the hotel room since there is only one room and it won't be baby proofed. I think it will work better if DH puts him to bed. So the plan is for my friend and I to leave and DH to put him down. The problem is DS won't fall asleep with us around. He wants to play and have fun.

Anybody have any experience getting a toddler to sleep in a hotel room?

[ijack]

They go to sleep a lot later DD usually falls asleep not much before we do. We'll try to read quietly or something when she's trying to fall asleep.

[ECB]

If he still fits, I would probably still take the PNP. Having something familiar to sleep in might help. Also- i would always tie up a blanket around the edges of the PNP to help block out light AND from DS seeing us.

However, we had the same problem as you - if we were in the room, he wouldn't fall asleep. Two options - your DH could "leave" and go into the bathroom. Or we would just go out into the hallway and sit out there until he fell asleep. We always take our monitor w/ us (even though we don't use it at home) and even being right outside the door, I'd still have it on to listen to him and I could usually tell when he had fallen asleep.

[vanillacourage]

Wear him out during the day & put him to sleep later than usual.

The one time we've done this, we also got double beds and let DS sleep in a bed with me. The novelty of being able to snuggle up to mommy all night helped him quiet down.

[Deleted]

We lay down next to them until they start drifting off, which is what we do at home too.

It's not a big deal, it usually only takes 15-20 min. at the most.

[nannersp]

Aug 29, 2012 14:09:49 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Wear him out during the day & put him to sleep later than usual.

The one time we've done this, we also got double beds and let DS sleep in a bed with me. The novelty of being able to snuggle up to mommy all night helped him quiet down.

This is all great advice and our experience, too. The last time we shared a hotel room was our trip to Disneyland. Didn't take DD long to pass out after such a busy day, and I laid with her until she fell asleep.

[6fsn]

We used a PNP until DS was too big, even when he could climb out. We put it as far away from us as possible and just let him play or chatter until he went to sleep. We were lucky he was a good sleeper.

When he got too big we got a sleeping bag and he thinks that's the bomb.

[mollybrown]

We still let DS sleep in the Pack n Play when he was 2.5. He barely fit, but he slept like a baby. He never tried climbing out.

[UnderProtest]

We traveled with our kids who were about 9 months old and we had to put them where they couldn't see us. So we put one in the little hallway area and the other in the bathroom. It was ideal, but they couldn't see us (and were contained in cribs) so they would actually go to sleep.

[nonsenseabound]

honestly, we paid for a family suite. It was worth the additional money for us.

The few times where we all had to sleep in the same room we just went to bed a little early for us but a little late for the kids. It worked out.

[mommylikestattoos]

The last couple of times we stayed at a hotel we paid for a one bedroom suite, which probably doesn't help you now. Although I still cuddled with my DS for a bit, let him watch one of his shows on our iPad, then left him in the dimly lit room.

FYI, most hotels have bed rails available on request, definitely look into that if you're opt out of bringing the pack and play!!

[Deleted]

I laid down with DS when he went to bed--which didn't work. He ended up sleeping between H/I in the king sized bed. He screamed at the top of his lungs in the PNP

[liveintheville]

Hmm. We, too, generally go for a suite. The kids have slept in a bed or on a sofa bed in a hotel. We bring the usual books to read at bedtime, their loveys, and the noise machine.

Prayer doesn't work in these situations yet I always end up there.

[drloretta]

She used to just end up sleeping with us.

Now we got her a travel cot and she sleeps pretty well in that.

[satama]

We also get a suite. The last time we had a one bedroom suite with both kids. We put him in the bedroom and then hung out in the living room . We also had a three week old with us at the time.

Times when we didn't get a suite he was still in the pack and play and we just rearranged the room so he couldn't see us once he was in it.

Wear him out, lay down with him, bring his blankie or lovie, read stories, and bring his sound machine or music if he uses it.

[h]

If at all possible, we get a suite (or stay at one of those extended stay places like a Residence Inn where all the rooms have separate living and dining areas).

If that is not possible, we just let the kids stay up late and then we all go to bed at the same time. We have had zero luck getting them to go to sleep in the same room before us.

[af1212]

I still put my daughter in a PNP even though she is in a bed at home. My husband goes to the gym, and I turn out all of the lights and play on my iPod/iPad until she goes to sleep. Then we can turn the lights back on and watch tv or whaveter.

[mrshandy]

Thanks for all the advice. A suite would be nice. But it would have been too much. It's labor day weekend so our solo hotel room cost enough as it is.

We'll probably bring the Pnp. I just hope it will fit. Our car is going to be packed to the brim.

[mrshandy]

We will definitely run him around. We're going to be at the beach all day!

[barefootcontessa]

We have a toddler tent that we use for traveling. It has a blow-up mattress and our toddler has no trouble going in there. It also is dark which seems to help him sleep.

[lindyanne]

We have gotten adjoining rooms before. Not MM but for my sanity when I know I need sleep. Several times I have not gotten adjoining rooms I have gone driving at 10pm till he falls asleep.