Holiday expectations vs. reality
You’ve been waiting for this holiday for months.
The flights are booked. The hotel looks perfect. The suitcases are (almost) packed. Your child has already asked, “How many more nights until we go?” at least twenty times.
You’re all very excited. But if you’re honest…there’s also that little voice in the back of your mind: “What if my baby doesn’t sleep?”
Because every parent knows for sure: a holiday is only relaxing when everyone sleeps (including your child).
Finally, the holiday begins. And then…the first night arrives.
The room is warmer than expected.
The blackout curtains don’t quite black out.
Dinner runs later than usual.
Your baby refuses to settle.
At 5:07 the next morning, two bright little eyes are staring happily at you.
Suddenly, the holiday everyone needed starts feeling surprisingly familiar. Why? Because you’re still exhausted.
For many parents, summer is a constant balancing act between making unforgettable memories and protecting the one thing that makes those memories enjoyable in the first place: sleep.
What changes during the summer holiday
The challenge isn’t just the holiday itself.
It’s that summer changes almost every ingredient that supports healthy sleep.
Longer daylight delays the body’s natural production of melatonin.
Hot bedrooms make it harder for babies to regulate their body temperature.
Busy sightseeing days, late dinners and exciting new experiences overstimulate an already immature nervous system.
In other words…summer quietly removes many of the building blocks your baby’s brain relies on to usually fall asleep peacefully at home.
How to sleep well to enjoy the holiday
But here’s the encouraging news: you don’t need a perfect routine to enjoy a wonderful holiday.
You simply need to understand what your baby’s brain needs to feel SAFE ENOUGH to sleep, even when everything around them has changed.
That’s where neuroscience offers a reassuring perspective.
Contrary to what many parents believe, babies don’t just fall asleep because they’re exhausted.
They fall asleep because their brain recognises that the environment is safe.
Safety is what allows the nervous system to switch from alertness into rest.
And during holidays, that feeling of safety is challenged more often than we realise.
A different bed.
Different sounds.
Different smells.
Different light.
Different timing.
Different people.
Everything is exciting. And excitement (even happy excitement) can mean over-stimulation for a baby or a toddler. That’s why so many parents tell me: “My baby was so tired… but simply couldn’t fall asleep.”
It wasn’t because they weren’t tired enough, but because their little brain was still processing everything it had experienced that day.
Stil, with a few clever adjustments, you can give your baby’s nervous system exactly what it needs to get enough sleep to be able to enjoy the holiday.
That’s exactly why I created my FREE Baby Sleep on Holiday Guide.
Inside, you’ll discover practical, science-based tips to help your baby sleep well while travelling, adapt to new environments, and enjoy summer without losing the healthy sleep habits you’ve worked so hard to build.
Because holidays should be about making memories, not recovering from exhaustion.
Carmen Liebert
Founder of Happy Baby Schlaf
Carmen Liebert is a certified Baby & Toddler Sleep Consultant, creator of the Baby Sleep Solutions Method, helping English-speaking families across Germany build healthy, age-appropriate sleep habits through a holistic, science-based approach.
She specialises in babies & toddlers from 4 months to 4 years of age and also supports parents of autistic children with sleep challenges.