Flight at 23:00 with a 3 year old

[olibeansmummy]

We've just booked to go to Australia for Xmas/ new year. The flights have all worked out great except the one from Singapore to Manchester which leaves at 23:10 or 23:50 ( I forget which). Any tips for doing this with a toddler? We'll have had a 1 night stop over, so at least some sleep!

Changi airport has a hotel (and a swimming pool) that you could, and I don't see why it would change, book for a few hours at a time.

Maybe book a room, check in when you arrive at the airport and put little one to bed at their usual time, depending on the terminal you are flying out of you could just carry little one from bed to the flight.

There was a thread a while back about drugging kids do they could sleep on planes. At first I was but the more I think about it I am coming round the idea. The thread is worth searching for.....

What are you worried about exactly?

We do a similar flight with dd 2.5 and find it works out pretty well for us. We get her to take a nap late afternoon for as long as possible (she no longer naps in the day usually)

she's then a bit strung out but mostly fine at airport and on plane to begin with, will usually stay awake thru dinner as its quite noisy and then put her to sleep (this can be challenging but usually cuddling/rocking/singing works.. Shell usually sleep about 7hrs then and that just leaves a couple more hours to kill!

For flight generally I'd say have tons of snacks, stickers, books, games, iPad if you have one!!
And a stiff drink for you while you keep repeating its only 13hrs!!

Sounds like an ideal flight for my toddler, we fly out on our hol at 12pm(nightmare as he'll be awake the whole 6 hours!) and back at 11pm, last time he slept the whole way home. When we went last time there was a lady with toddler triplets who had given them all medised before they flew but that is for over 6's.

Is it 11pm local time or 11pm body-clock time? Because that might change things a bit for you.

But on the basis that it's body-clock time: we found that flights at that time are a bit fraught at the airport due to over-tiredness, but DD would settle to sleep almost as soon as the plane took off (disclaimer: these were short haul flights). The noise and vibrations seemed to be great for helping her drift off.

We have done the night flight out a Singapore a few times with DS, including once when he was 3. Changi airport is great, so we kept him busy and awake until we boarded. As long as the airline are child friendly, you'll be fine. I think that we got a little lunchbox for DS's inflight meal so he could pick at it when he woke up. x

Thanks ladies :) I guess what I'm worried about is keeping him up til that time! Not worried about him sleeping on the plane as I'm sure he will after take off and food. Forgot to say, we're having a stop over in a hotel so will need to be checked out by 11 am but I guess we could still get a hotel room at the airport to try to get him to have a nap.

It's 11:50pm local time so I guess he'll be on Sydney time and it'll be even later! Finding it hard to get my head around 3 time zones...

I had another thought...in Changi airport I think that once you go through to boarding there is nothing in that lounge. No tvs, no water or anything. First time I went through early, but DS go hot and sticky and there was no-where to get a drink. I left it til later last time, it was more comfortable and we still had time to spare! Might be worth checking what is there now. x

Ooh that doesn't sound good craftymoo! Thanks for the advice :) we'll not go through til later then as the rest of the airport sounds fab :) I'm planning to buy plenty of drinks and snacks anyway once we've got through customs as don't want ds whinging he's hungry/ thirsty.

I had a similar situation coming back from New Zealand via Hong Kong recently with my 18-month-old. We stayed overnight in HK the first night and then the return leg to London departed the next night at 1am. Try as I might I could NOT get DS to have any kind of nap during the day as he was so wired/jetlagged but he did eventually fall asleep in the car during the afternoon. I was worried about how he was going to last till 1am as I had to leave for the airport around 9pm, but he fell asleep on the way there and stayed asleep the whole time till we got onto the plane. He then proceeded to scream until I could finally put him to bed after take-off. It was stressful to say the least (I was also travelling on my own which didn't help), but I'd say that an 11pm flight should be slightly easier!

I would recommend to try and do anything you can to make him have a nap in the afternoon, and I wouldn't bother putting him to bed at his normal time as you'll just have to wake him up again to leave for the airport/plane. The different timezones didn't seem to matter too much except for him not wanting to have a nap and having been awake since about 4am local time that day!!! Once he was asleep on the plane he probably slept for a good 6-7 hours.

Good luck!

I've done that exact flight more times than I'd like to admit. Changi is VERY kid friendly so at the airport won't be a problem. They have strollers as far as I remember so worst case he can nap as you wander duty free (and if like mine he will because he'll be shattered). If I had to fly late longhaul from anywhere it'd be Changi and on Singapore.

The gates have water fountains, TVs (set to local news generally) and ample seating. Some have flat bed sofa things too. There are also sleep areas in the terminal and a butterfly zone that my DD adores. Check the Changi website for information about your terminal (I assume it'll be T3)

Not sure who you're flying but the time suggest Singapore Airlines - they are fab with kids, very good with extra blankets and pillows. Also the TV has age appropriate stuff for 2.5 and they give you kid friendly headphones. They're also up for impromptu entertainment should you need 5 mins for a bathroom run mid flight,

I would stock up on crackers/cereal bars for the flight and if you need milk just have a sippy cup or whatever ready.

However, you will be in no way shape or form getting a good nights sleep I'm afraid so if you can arrange grandparent or similar to help when you get back do. Takes about 3 days for them to click back into the timezone.

If you have time/energy in Singapore the zoo is unbelievably good and about 30/40 mins taxi from airport area I think. My kids adored it.

Thanks ladies that's really helpful :) yes it's Singapore airlines were flying with, they sound fab as does changi airport. My grandad was in changi in ww2 so it'll be nice to visit there :)

I already have a list of things to put in his trunki lol including not too sugary snacks and a drinks bottle to fill up airside ( he's not fussed on milk and doesn't use a sippy cup so east in that respect).

Oh no about taking 3 days to get back to normal I have to go back to work the next day! ( I'm a TA and lucky to have got 2 weeks unpaid LOA then Xmas hols, so have to go back in the 1st mon!) luckily dh works from home so he and ds can take time to recover!

We do night flights with dd a lot and have done since she was 2. Tips are

Get dd changed into pjs early, even if it means coming the the airport in them! Nothing worse than trying to wrestle a sleepy child into pjs on the plane, and having them on will help him sleep better.

Lots of things like colouring books etc, or even better, apps on a iPad, to amuse whilst waiting in the airport.

Cuddly toy if he normally sleeps with one

Eat at the airport and don't bother about eating on the plane.

Pashminas or the like to create a sort of tent over him if he's bothered by ambient light. Plane blankets are oddly rubbish for this.

The things is thebossofme he doesn't wear pjs!!! He's always offered pjs but says "I sleep in my naked" lol so thinking of just putting him in trackies and a long sleeved top. Ooh wouldn't get away without taking his giraffe 'deedee'!

Gonna get him a slanket so he can wear it on/ off the plane if necessary.

He has his own I pod with his own apps so we'll take that and he can use dh's I pad for films :)

We did a similar timed flight Xmas gone to Sydney. DD was just under 3. She slept on the way to the airport. We had a meal there, all very exciting lots to explore. Finally boarded the plane, still very excited. Because I had ordered children's meals they were served first (I have 3 dcs). after dinner i changed them and didn't even try to settle them before they turned the lights down. She still took a little while to settle but eventually she fell asleep and slept until we got to Hong Kong. We didn't stop for long in HK and she slept again to Sydney. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and I'd do it again in a flash!