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Original poster

How to get kids to sleep on long haul flight

13 replies

Gonzales27 · 14/02/2023 09:14

My kids are 10 and 12. The flight is 15hrs eastbound. Never flown long haul before.

They have always been rubbish at sleeping when traveling in cars etc, in fact I think they actively resist it.

I don't want them to arrive exhausted and jet lagged as our holiday is only 10 days so don't want to waste any of it recovering.

Any tips or over the counter meds suggestions that will help them get done sleep on the plane.

We've got all the standard electronic entertainment etc. we've also got decent memory foam neck pillows.

OP posts:
Original poster
Gonzales27 · 14/02/2023 11:45

Think move out this in the wrong place. Maybe it should be in "holidays"?? His do I get it changed?

OP posts:
MeghanThyStallion · 14/02/2023 11:53

My advice is to just let them do whatever keeps them comfortable. I've taken my similar-aged on holiday in the Far East and the other direction in Latin America. Each time, they've done a mix of reading, watching films, playing and sleeping. They're better than me with the jet lag!

SnowAndFrostOutside · 14/02/2023 11:53

Midnight flights. Works everytime. They are usually fast asleep before meal service starts.

CatOnTheChair · 14/02/2023 12:10

DS1 never sleeps on planes.
I just let him get on with it now.
He regularly slept from 10pm til midnight, when we set off to the airport.
He then stayed awake until about 7pm the next day at destination (9pm or 10pm local time).
His younger brother use to sleep in the car to the airport, then fall asleep about 5am, just before we needed to change planes.
DH never sleeps on planes either.

maddy68 · 14/02/2023 12:23

Lots of travel sickness medication makes kids drowsy. So does anti histamines so if you need to use either of those you might get lucky.

Tbh I find that my kids just slept anyway. I think the business of the day, the motion of the plane and the excitement wore them out.

SomePosters · 14/02/2023 12:33

Honestly stop trying to make them, if they think you’re trying they’ll resist on point of principle. Especially at those ages!

Giving them medication they don’t need for a quiet life is at best shaky moral ground.

I’ve done a lot of travelling with my dd and I usually take cloth bags folded in coat pockets to turn coats into decent pillows and don’t try and force anything.

we got a 4am flight once and I just let her eat chocolate ice cream for breakfast at the airport… I figure she’s not going back to sleep at that point anyway so why fight it. Although I did fall asleep as we were taking off and wake up as we were landing (4hr flight) I was pissed off with myself that my 4yo was essentially unsupervised all that time but she couldn’t have gotten out of her seat (window) without waking me and she drew and ate snack the whole way as far as I can tell

SeaToSki · 14/02/2023 12:39

Try to shift towards the new time zone in the week before you leave, so early orlate meal times and bedtimes.

make sure they know about the zone change, get them to look up tips and techniques for sleeping on the plane and dealing with jet lag once there. Then all have a chat and see what they like the idea of/strategies they want to use. They are more likely to try them

try and have lots of naps on the plan rather than one big sleep

if all else fails confiscate their tech and headphones for a couple of hours on the plane and bore them to sleep

also, maybe get the inflatable foot well thingies so they can curl up to sleep more easily, and eye masks can be helpful

Orangello · 14/02/2023 13:12

I wouldn't stress. 15h eastbound flight, they'll be jetlagged anyway whether they sleep or not. They'll just nap when possible and will be fine the next day.

Original poster
Gonzales27 · 14/02/2023 13:52

Thanks everyone , I like the idea of taking electronics off them to bore them to sleep.

It's true I might just make them more resistant if I try to hard!

OP posts:
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 15/02/2023 00:25

At those ages you surely tell them that you’ll be sleeping, and they’re welcome to do the same, to read, watch a film or to otherwise entertain themselves?

Just make sure they know they aren’t to disturb you if you’re sleeping (unless they need to to go to the loo or something)

If you really want to make sure they sleep, then no electronics for a period of time would hopefully do the trick. I wouldn’t be thinking of giving meds to help them sleep at that age - it’s up to them in the end.

reluctantbrit · 15/02/2023 16:26

I just let DD go on with it, she has her tech, a bag with snacks and books. As long as she is not disturbing anyone or expects me to entertain her, she is welcome to stay awake.

Normally she nods off at one point but like me, can't sleep a full flight (doesn't matter which airline or class).

gogohmm · 15/02/2023 16:52

If you come up with a solution please let me know, I can't sleep on flights, flown long haul overnight 14 hours many times, not a wink of sleep

VivaVivaa · 15/02/2023 16:55

At those ages you surely tell them that you’ll be sleeping, and they’re welcome to do the same, to read, watch a film or to otherwise entertain themselves?

I agree with this. I thought your DC were going to be much younger than 10 and 12 when I opened the thread.

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