Sleep Tips for Camping with Babies and Toddlers

Summer is here, and that means it’s time to start planning all the fun and adventurous

outings with our families—yay! While I’m not much of a camper myself, I work with many families who love to camp and often come to me afterward because sleep has gone off the rails. It can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks to get things back on track—but it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re heading into the great outdoors and want to keep your little one’s sleep intact, here are some simple, helpful tips to use while you're enjoying nature, s’mores, and all the summer fun.

Schedule

You are traveling, so let’s be honest, the schedule probably won’t be perfect. And that’s ok!  

Live a little but try to stick to their sleep schedule as much as possible to help prevent your child from getting overtired. Nap them when you usually would at home and, if possible, put them to bed around the same time. For children 4 years and older, having a later bedtime now and then may not impact them as much. However, if you see that they are getting cranky or not as tolerant the next night, try putting them down to bed earlier. Hopefully, all the fresh air will make it easier for them to fall asleep.

Routines

Camping definitely comes with its challenges—especially when it comes to sleep. You won’t have all the comforts and routines of home, but that doesn’t mean you have to ditch your bedtime rhythm altogether.

Try to stick to a familiar routine as best you can, even if it’s a shorter or simpler version. A quick wipe-down, cozy pajamas, sleep sack, a favorite book, and a quiet song can really help your little one shift from adventure mode to wind-down mode.

When packing, don’t forget the sleep essentials! Bring anything your child usually relies on—lovey, sleep sack, white noise if possible—so the environment still feels familiar, even out in the wild. A little consistency goes a long way.

Sleep Space

When planning your trip, make sure that you plan for where your baby will sleep. The AAP’s safe sleep guidelines call for babies to have their own sleep space. In that space, it should only have a firm mattress with a fitted sheet. Consider bringing a large enough tent to fit a travel crib or bassinet inside. For toddlers you may want to invest in the SlumberPod, although I think it also fits a minicrib so it could be an option for an infant as well. It’s designed to keep the space cool, dark and breathable. You can learn more about the SlumberPod here.

Temperature

Temperature is key to good sleep. The recommendation is between 68 – 72F (20-22C) for optimal sleep. Obviously, while you are in a tent in the great outdoors, this may not be possible SO to help prevent your baby from overheating in the tent, consider bringing a portable fan and allow them to sleep with just a diaper and sleep sack. The fan also doubles up as a good ambient, white noise.

Image courtesy of YogaSleep

White Noise

If you hope to have some adult time by the campfire while the kiddos sleep or are worried about noisy neighbors, consider packing a portable white noise machine like this one from YogaSleep. Or, as mentioned earlier, if you brought a fan that can be your source of white noise. However, suppose you’ve forgotten your white noise machine and fan at home. In that case, there are many free white noise machine apps available for your phone or tablet. 

Darkness

When our bodies are exposed to darkness or the sun begins setting, this signals our brain to release our sleepy hormone, melatonin. Melatonin helps us fall asleep and stay asleep. So, darkness for sleep is crucial. However, the sun does not set until after 9:03 pm here in the PNW and we all know that it is starting to peak into our homes at 5:00 am these days. So if you plan to do a lot of camping, investing in a tent with built-in blackout features may make sense. Alternatively, if you’ve already got a tent, you could try to drape a dark sheet over your tent to add another layer to darken it. Be mindful that your tent still has good airflow so you and your little one don’t overheat. 

Night Wakings

Some babies and toddlers may wake up at night when they aren’t sleeping in their everyday environment. My advice? Do what you’ve got to do to get as much sleep as possible for everyone.  Once you get home you can go back to your normal routines and night wakings should subside. If not, you may have to sleep train a few days or just be patient while your child adapts back to their normal home routines.

Returning Home

When you get home, if sleep is completely derailed, and you’ve created some new habits, get back to your regular schedule and routine and have a consistent response to night wakings. It can take up to a week, and sometimes as long as 10 days, to get back on track. One thing to keep in the back of your mind is to not give up, be patient and consistent, and realize that sleep is not always linear. Just go back to your old routines while keeping schedule in place, and know that it will get better in a week or so.