Why will my baby only sleep at home?
Just like many adults, babies crave consistency and routine — and anything that disrupts this can be unsettling. Their normal sleep environment feels safe, comforting, and familiar, while new surroundings can introduce sights, sounds, and experiences they’re not used to, which might make them feel anxious or overstimulated.
At home, babies also tend to have familiar “sleep cues” that signal to them that it’s time for a snooze — perhaps it’s a clockwork-like bedtime routine that includes a bath and a story, or a set of curtains that provide just the right amount of darkness in their room. Without these prompts, it might be more difficult to settle your baby into a sleep-ready state.
But even if your baby is a bit of a homebody when it comes to naptime, this doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to get them to sleep in an unfamiliar environment. With persistence and a little encouragement, it’s possible to spend time away from home without disrupting your little one’s sleep schedule too much — and we’re going to outline some tips and tricks.
How to get your baby to sleep away from home
If you’re fortunate, your baby might not be overly fazed by a change in environment, and you may find they sleep relatively soundly no matter where they happen to be. More likely, though, your little one is a little fussier and harder to settle — or worse still, stubbornly resistant to naps — when in new surroundings.
If yours is in the latter camp, there are a number of techniques you can try to help your baby sleep when separated from their home comforts:
Do a few “trial runs”
Sudden changes in routine can be distressing for anyone, but you can help your baby get used to different sleep environments by gradually trialing being away from home for short periods. Perhaps start with a few afternoon visits to friends or family members, for example, and build up to a whole night spent at someone else’s house.
The first few times might be unsettling for them, but persistence pays: the more time they spend away from home and can see that they’re still safe and secure, the easier it will theoretically become to encourage them to sleep in different surroundings.
In the run-up to a planned vacation, for instance, you might consider arranging a few sleepovers at Grandma and Grandad’s house, or even booking a night in a hotel. Additionally, if you’re planning to use a travel crib or bassinet, get them to “practice” sleeping in it a few times before you go away so it doesn’t feel completely unfamiliar.
Try to stick to their regular routine
As we’ve mentioned, babies are little creatures of habit. They thrive on routine, and often become distressed when faced with something unfamiliar or unexpected — like a sudden change in sleeping environment.
While it can be easier said than done, trying to maintain a sleep routine that matches their at-home schedule as closely as possible will help your baby adjust to sleeping in new surroundings, and avoid disrupting their normal sleep habits too much.
This means attempting to put them down for a nap at roughly the same time as you would at home, and maintaining a consistent pre-bedtime routine — if they usually have a warm bath and a few cuddles before bed, for example, try to continue these rituals wherever possible.
This requires planning ahead, of course — and it may not always be possible to match their normal routine to the letter, particularly when traveling — but your baby should sleep better away from home if their nap times don’t deviate too much from their usual schedule.
Recreate their normal sleep environment
Just as they crave routine, babies often find comfort in the familiar. So while you can’t take your baby’s entire room with you wherever you go, you can do the next best thing: try to mirror their at-home sleep surroundings as closely as possible. For example:
-
Pack familiar sleep accompaniments such as your baby’s usual bedding (a slept-in sheet that smells of home can be a great help) and their favorite blanket or soft toy — providing they’re at least 12 months old.
-
Try to make sure the room temperature is similar to what your baby is used to, which should ideally be between 68-72°F (20-22°C).
-
Dress your baby in what they’d usually wear to bed at home, as long as it’s appropriate for the environment and temperature they’re sleeping in.
-
Use blackout curtains or travel blinds to keep the room dark, especially if your baby is used to sleeping in a dim environment at home.
Consider introducing “white noise”
Among the many challenges of trying to get your baby to sleep in a different environment are the new and unfamiliar sounds they may encounter when trying to get some shuteye. The everyday creaks and hums of your own house can become oddly comforting, but noises they’re unaccustomed to can often be unsettling.
For instance, perhaps you’re staying at a friend’s house and their neighbor has a particularly noisy dog, or the hotel you’ve booked is next to a busy road — these new sounds might be difficult to drown out, making it hard for them to settle.
In these cases, introducing white noise — a consistent, even sound that blends with background noise to make it less noticeable — could help block out unfamiliar sounds and create a more calming environment.
If you’re using a white noise machine, it’s important to ensure it’s placed at least 7 feet away from where your baby is sleeping, but there are also plenty of apps you can download that should do the job just fine. For more information on using white noise to help your baby sleep, check out our guide.
Avoid making them overtired
There’s a balance to be struck when you’re out and about with your baby because, while you want to keep them relatively active so they feel sleepy when it’s time for a nap, you don’t want them to be so tired that they struggle to settle — overtiredness leading to sleep refusal is one of life’s great paradoxes!
So while it’s best to stick to their regular nap schedule if you can, it’s also important to pick up on signs of sleepiness to avoid keeping them awake longer than needed and risk them becoming overtired.
Your baby’s sleep cues might include yawning, eye rubbing, or increased fussiness, and when they display these signs you may need to be prepared to adjust their normal schedule slightly and let them sleep on their terms — otherwise it might be more difficult to get them to snooze later on. Consistency is key, but flexibility is often required.
Practice self-soothing
Newborns don’t have the ability to self-soothe, but from around 3 to 4 months it may be possible for your little one to gain more independence and learn to fall asleep by themselves without needing to be comforted by you.
If you’re able to encourage self-soothing as early as possible, this can really help when it comes to getting them to fall asleep in new places, particularly as it will be easier for them to settle back to sleep if they wake up in unfamiliar surroundings.
Some babies take quite naturally to self-soothing, while for some it can demand a little more practice and patience. Either way, you can help your little one learn to self-soothe by:
-
Maintaining a consistent bedtime schedule and routine
-
Putting them to bed when they’re drowsy but still awake
-
Feeding them slightly earlier so they’re not being “fed” to sleep
-
Waiting a minute or two before going to comfort them when they cry
-
Comforting them in the crib rather than taking them out
-
When they reach 12 months or older, letting them sleep with a “security object” like a soft toy or blanket
Try to avoid on-the-go naps
This is another area where “easier said than done” applies, as you can’t really control whether your baby drifts off in the car or their stroller. But we’re not necessarily suggesting that you need to keep them awake at all costs while on the go, just that it’s better to avoid this becoming a habit — as regular “off-schedule” naps can disrupt their sleep routine.
Grabbing forty winks while in their car seat isn’t going to do them any harm — the gentle vibrations that accompany being in the car are often too soothing to resist — but it will typically not be the best quality sleep, and it’s likely they’ll wake up a little cranky.
If this sounds counterintuitive, it is a little. But while it can feel like a win when your baby is sleeping soundly in their stroller as you make your way through a packed airport (and sometimes sleeping on-the-go is a necessity), it’s usually better if your baby learns to associate sleep with being in their crib or travel cot.
Most importantly: be patient!
In the best-case scenario, your baby takes to sleeping in any new environment like a duckling to water; but even with all the will in the world, it can take patience and a willingness to be flexible when trying to adapt your little one to temporarily new sleep surroundings.
While it’s natural that most babies will always prefer the comfort and familiarity of napping at home, this doesn’t mean you need to admit defeat and accept that away days are simply an impossibility — they might just take a little while for your baby to get used to.
Think about the last time you stayed in a hotel or crashed in a friend’s spare room. Perhaps the firmness of the mattress wasn’t entirely to your usual liking, or maybe unfamiliar outside noises prevented you from drifting off as quickly as you normally would. It’s often just the same for your baby.
It’s important to give them time to adjust, and understand that it might take a few goes before they feel comfortable sleeping away from home. Like many things in early parenthood, it’s a process.
We all like our home comforts (and who doesn’t love coming back to their own bed after a trip away?) but getting your baby used to sleeping in unfamiliar places takes at least some of the worry out of being away from home.
Whether you’re going for a sleepover at Grandma and Grandad’s house or planning a family vacation, following the tips above will help turn your baby from a homebody that’ll only sleep in their own room to an assured travel companion who isn’t fazed by an away-day nap.
Reviewed by Rosey Davidson, Sleep Consultant, founder & CEO, in November 2024.