Urgent help with jet lag?!

[Goostacean]

Just got back to S America from the U.K., we’re now four hours behind the U.K. Baby fell asleep at 2pm local time (ie 6pm UK time) and I thought it was just a nap as he’s been going to bed at 9pm in the U.K.

He’s been asleep for four hours! Wake him, and attempt bedtime 1.5-2hs later? Or let him sleep and get up at some ungodly hour with him...? Husband wants option 1, I am anti waking babies. We’re turning to MN for your wisdom please?!

[Spaghettio]

Wake him and give him some food/milk. He needs to get back into U.K. time as quickly as possible. He'll still wake a stupid o'clock tomorrow - but try not to give god/milk until the "normal" (U.K.) time

Jet lag is not just about sleep - it's about getting the whole body back to the right time, which will include food, and light. So if you can keep him in the dark until "normal" time too, that will help.

I've done this with 3 boys, from the age of 10 months (we did U.K. - Australia - U.K. in a three week period). Good luck 😉

[Spaghettio]

CBeebies is your friend. If he wakes before CBeebies find the iPlayer/YouTube. This is the time to embrace the electronic babysitter!

[Goostacean]

No, other way round- we’re now in Argentina so it’s only 6.35pm here but he’s been asleep since 2pm... Wake him anyway? I wonder if I’m just setting myself up for lots of tears and then him falling back asleep immediately anyway. Forgot to say- he’s 6mo.

[Spaghettio]

6.35pm in Argentina? Definitely wake him. That's a normal(ish) time for him to be awake. Then it becomes a late bedtime for tonight - maybe try to stretch it out until
9ish (your time)? Then he should hopefully be exhausted and ready to sleep.

Be prepared for an unsettled night. But tomorrow will be better than today. Just ensure you have him eating when he normally would and sleeping (roughly) when he normally would. He'll be grumpy, but you'll enjoy yourselves so much more if he's over it quickly. If it drags on, it'll ruin your holiday. Nothing worse than a holiday with no sleep!

Good luck (and enjoy the Argentinian steak while you're there 🥩)!

[Goostacean]

I confess I had dinner and went to sleep at 8pm myself! 😂 We live out here atm, so luckily no pressure to be up and about etc to make the most of it, every single day- like on a holiday. Don’t think I’ve ever dripfed so much, sorry 🙄

Baby slept til gone midnight, woke for a feed, then awake again at 3 briefly, and finally up for the day at 6am! I think our haunt to the U.K. exhausted him- 16hs in bed?? And he’s now 2hs into his first nap of the day which is usually an hour. Poor thing!

Thanks for your advice @Spaghettio, was good to not feel alone last night!

[Spaghettio]

Sounds like a good night then! Glad I could be around - jet lag can be a killer and with kids/babies it's always hard to know what to do.