How to Get a Toddler to Sleep on a Plane

Getting a toddler to sleep at home can sometimes be difficult. Trying to make it happen in a brightly lit airplane cabin surrounded by strangers, announcements, meal carts, and unfamiliar noises is an entirely different challenge.

Some toddlers fall asleep almost immediately after takeoff. Others seem determined to stay awake until the airplane lands, no matter how tired they are.

You cannot guarantee that your toddler will sleep on a plane, but you can make sleep much more likely by thinking about your flight schedule, clothing, comfort items, bedtime routine, entertainment, and the way you manage the hours leading up to sleep.

If you are preparing for your first flight, start with our complete guide to flying with a toddler. For especially long trips, our guide to surviving a long flight with a toddler covers the entire journey.

Start With Realistic Expectations

The first thing to understand is that airplane sleep may not look anything like sleep at home.

A toddler who normally naps for two hours might sleep for 40 minutes. A child who normally goes to bed at 8:00 might stay awake until 10:30 because everything around them is interesting.

That does not mean you did anything wrong.

An airplane is an unfamiliar environment, and your child's normal schedule may shift considerably.

Choose the Flight Time With Your Toddler in Mind

When you have several flight choices, think about when your particular child is most likely to sleep.

Some toddlers nap easily in moving vehicles and do well on a flight that overlaps with normal nap time.

Others become overstimulated by airports and airplanes and will not sleep until they are completely exhausted.

Flights During Nap Time

A midday flight that overlaps with your child's normal nap may sound ideal.

It can work wonderfully if your toddler is a flexible sleeper. But if your child only naps in a dark bedroom with a very specific routine, the airplane may not cooperate.

Overnight Flights

Overnight flights can be appealing because a successful night of sleep can eliminate several hours of entertainment.

The risk is that your toddler may be too excited or uncomfortable to fall asleep when expected.

When possible, choose a schedule based on how your child actually sleeps rather than how you hope they will sleep.

Do Not Deliberately Exhaust Your Toddler

It can be tempting to skip a nap before the flight because you assume an exhausted toddler will immediately fall asleep onboard.

Sometimes that works.

Sometimes it creates an overtired toddler who is miserable, overstimulated, and even harder to settle.

I would generally avoid dramatically changing your child's schedule solely in an attempt to force airplane sleep.

Let Your Toddler Move Before Boarding

While intentionally exhausting a toddler is not a great plan, giving them an appropriate opportunity to move before boarding can help.

If you have extra time at the gate, let your child walk around with you rather than spending the entire wait strapped into a stroller.

Some airports also have children's play areas that can be useful before a long flight.

Use Familiar Sleep Cues

Toddlers often associate certain objects and routines with sleep.

Those familiar cues become particularly valuable in an unfamiliar place.

Depending on your child's normal routine, bring:

• A small blanket
• A favorite stuffed animal
• A pacifier
• A familiar bedtime book
• Pajamas
• Another small comfort item normally associated with sleep

You do not need to recreate your child's entire bedroom. A few familiar things can be enough to signal that it is time to settle down.

Keep the Most Important Comfort Item in Your Carry-On

Never put the one stuffed animal or blanket your toddler absolutely needs to sleep into checked luggage.

If the bag is delayed, you do not want to begin the trip without your child's favorite comfort item.

Our toddler carry-on checklist includes the other essentials worth keeping with you throughout the journey.

Change Into Pajamas

On an overnight flight, pajamas can become part of your bedtime routine.

Changing clothes helps separate the active part of the travel day from the time when you want your child to begin winding down.

Choose pajamas that are comfortable, easy to manage during diaper changes or bathroom trips, and warm enough for the airplane cabin.

Recreate Your Home Bedtime Routine as Much as Possible

You obviously cannot reproduce every part of bedtime at 35,000 feet, but you may be able to recreate the sequence.

For example:

The routine itself can communicate that playtime is ending.

Stop Exciting Activities Before Sleep

If you are hoping your toddler will sleep soon, do not introduce the most exciting new toy five minutes beforehand.

Gradually move from stimulating activities toward quieter ones.

A reasonable transition might be:

Movie → snack → quiet book → comfort item → sleep attempt.

Our list of airplane activities for toddlers includes plenty of ideas you can use earlier in the flight.

Dim the Screen Before Turning It Off

If your child has been watching a tablet, reduce the brightness as bedtime approaches and then put the device away.

That creates a more gradual transition than abruptly turning off a favorite movie and immediately expecting your toddler to sleep.

Dress in Comfortable Layers

Airplane cabins can change temperature during a flight.

A toddler who is too warm or too cold is unlikely to sleep comfortably.

Layers give you flexibility.

A simple combination might include:

• Soft shirt
• Comfortable pants
• Socks
• Sweatshirt or light jacket

Keep a Light Blanket Accessible

A blanket can provide warmth and a little sense of familiarity.

Choose something small enough that it does not consume half your carry-on.

Consider Where Your Toddler Will Sit

Your child's seating arrangement can affect sleep.

A window seat may provide a little more separation from people walking down the aisle, although seating and child-restraint requirements need to be considered as well.

If you are using a car seat onboard, read our guide to flying with a toddler and a car seat and make sure your particular restraint and seating arrangement comply with the applicable requirements.

A Familiar Car Seat May Help Some Toddlers Sleep

Children who frequently fall asleep during car rides may find their familiar car seat comfortable on the airplane when it is approved and properly used for the flight.

For some toddlers, simply being placed into the familiar seat signals that they should settle down.

Other children may prefer the additional room of the airplane seat.

There is no universal answer.

Use White Noise You Already Have

Airplanes naturally produce a steady background hum, which some children find soothing.

You may not need anything additional.

If your child normally sleeps with a particular sound, you could have it available quietly on a device if appropriate, but avoid playing sound through the cabin in a way that bothers other passengers.

Do Not Count on Airline Wi-Fi

If you use a bedtime story, music, or other digital content as part of your routine, download it before leaving home.

You do not want your toddler's sleep routine to depend on an internet connection that may not work.

Use Snacks at the Right Time

A hungry toddler is unlikely to settle comfortably.

Give your child enough to eat before you expect them to sleep, without turning bedtime into a giant snack marathon.

For easy travel options, see our guide to the best airplane snacks for toddlers.

Keep a Drink Available

Bring your child's familiar spill-resistant cup and keep it somewhere accessible.

If your child normally has a drink before sleep, maintaining that familiar routine may help.

Try Not to Rush the Sleep Attempt

Sometimes parents become so focused on making a toddler sleep that everyone becomes frustrated.

If your child is clearly not ready, switch to a quiet activity for a while and try again later.

A failed sleep attempt does not mean your toddler will remain awake for the entire flight.

If Your Toddler Falls Asleep, Protect the Nap

Once your toddler is asleep, avoid unnecessary disruptions.

Keep required items within reach so you do not have to rummage through the overhead bin.

If you are traveling with another adult, coordinate bathroom trips and movement so one person is not constantly climbing over the sleeping child.

Expect Cabin Announcements and Interruptions

Even when you do everything right, announcements, lights, turbulence, meal service, or nearby passengers may wake your toddler.

There is not much you can do about some of these things.

If your child wakes after a short nap, decide whether another sleep attempt makes sense or whether it is better to return to quiet entertainment.

What If Your Toddler Refuses to Sleep?

This is the scenario parents often fear most, especially on a long overnight flight.

If sleep is clearly not happening, stop battling over it.

Switch to low-key activities such as:

• A familiar show
• A quiet book
• Reusable stickers
• A simple drawing activity
• A small snack
• Looking through family photos

Your goal can become keeping your toddler reasonably calm until they naturally become sleepy.

Save Some Entertainment for the Middle of the Night

If you are taking a long overnight flight, assume there is at least a possibility your toddler will wake earlier than expected.

Do not use every activity before bedtime.

Save a couple of quiet options for later.

What If Your Toddler Sleeps at the Wrong Time?

Travel schedules do not always cooperate with normal routines.

If your toddler falls asleep earlier or later than expected, you usually have to work with the sleep you get.

Trying to force the exact home schedule in an unfamiliar environment can create more stress than simply adapting for one travel day.

Plan for Sleep After You Land Too

Your concern should not end when the plane touches down.

Consider:

• What time it will be at your destination
• How long it will take to reach your hotel or other lodging
• Whether you still have a rental-car pickup
• Whether your toddler will need food before bed
• Whether you can move quickly into a familiar bedtime routine

The easier you make the transition after landing, the better chance everyone has of getting needed rest.

Pack a Simple Toddler Sleep Kit

Do Not Forget Your Own Comfort

If your toddler falls asleep on you, you may stay in one position for a very long time.

Keep your own water, headphones, and other essentials within reach before your child settles.

It is much easier than discovering everything you need is in a bag you can no longer reach without waking them.

Final Thoughts

There is no trick that guarantees a toddler will sleep on a plane. What you can do is create the best possible conditions.

Choose a reasonable flight time when you have options, bring familiar comfort items, use pieces of the normal bedtime routine, dress your child comfortably, reduce stimulation gradually, and prepare for the possibility that sleep may happen later or for less time than it does at home.

Most importantly, do not let a disrupted nap or bedtime convince you that the entire trip is going badly. Travel days are different. Your toddler's schedule can recover.

For more help planning the flight, read our guide to long flights with toddlers, our complete carry-on checklist, the best airplane activities for toddlers, and our complete guide to flying with a toddler.

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