Child Not Sleeping on Holiday? Simple Ways to Keep Routines & Help Them Settle
Why routine matters more than we think; and how to make travel feel safer
It’s something many parents don’t expect.
You plan the holiday.
You choose somewhere beautiful.
You imagine slow mornings, happy children, time together.
And then… chaos!
Your child isn’t sleeping well.
They’re more emotional than usual.
Clingy, unsettled, or easily overwhelmed.
They don't like the food, they won't go to the bathroom and it's all feeling very difficult
Quietly, you wonder ..
Why aren’t they loving this?
The truth is, for young children, holidays can feel very different to how they feel for us.
What looks like adventure to an adult…
can feel like uncertainty to a child.
A different bed.
New smells.
Unfamiliar sounds in the night.
A routine that no longer exists in the same way.
Even small changes can feel big.
Children often rely on rhythm and familiarity to feel safe.
The same bedtime routine.
The same room.
The same small comforts that tell them, everything is as it should be.
When those things change, even for something exciting,
it can quickly unsettle them.
The Raising Children Network explains that consistent routines help children feel secure, particularly in unfamiliar environments. When those routines shift, it’s natural for behaviour, sleep and emotions to shift too.
It doesn’t mean something is wrong.
And it doesn’t mean the holiday is a mistake.
It simply means your child is adjusting,
in their own time, and in their own way.
There are small things that can help.
Bringing something familiar from home..
a favourite toy, a blanket, even their own pillow.
Looking at photos of where you’re going before you arrive,
so it doesn’t feel entirely unknown.
Letting them explore the room or space they’ll sleep in,
before bedtime comes.
Keeping small parts of your usual rhythm, where you can;
a story, a quiet moment, a familiar phrase.
These things might seem simple,
but to a child, they can make all the difference.
And sometimes, it helps to have something that travels with them.
Something that feels like theirs.
Something that holds a sense of home, even when everything else has changed.
At The Good Witch, Indi and Rune often become those travelling buddies for children.
Not as a solution,
but as something familiar in an unfamiliar place.
A place to tuck away the feelings that come with new experiences.
A small sense of comfort, carried from home into somewhere new.
Because for children,
feeling safe doesn’t come from where they are,
but from what they recognise.
With love and a little magic,
The Good Witch Team ✨