If you’re a parent of small children, you probably already know the trials and tribulations that come with travel. Kids are restless, especially when they’re stuck in a seat for hours on end, whether that be on a long road trip or on a long-haul flight. If they don’t have enough toys to keep them busy, they can get into all sorts of mischief, like poking the strangers seated in front of them, throwing a temper tantrum, making an absolute mess of their food, and just being absolute infant demons. Plus, there’s the added pressure of not disturbing 200 other people on the flight with you. At any point a fellow passenger could recreate this scene from “Workin’ Moms,” screaming at your kid, “Shut it you monster! Your mother’s a goddamn angel!” Yikes.
There are some experienced travelers who are suggesting you might be surprised to learn a certain type of flight is best for keeping your small kids quiet and settled. No, it’s not the earliest flight of the morning. In fact, it might just be that a red-eye is actually the perfect way to ensure a smooth and quiet flight with your little rug-rats. It seems counterintuitive, but apparently overnight flights are a secret parenting hack you should know about.
Red-eye flights ensure your child sticks to their sleep schedule
The travel bloggers at Bagsaway write that overnight flights with your kids are unconventional but it might just be the best travel hack for weary parents, because it’s likely your kids will actually sleep through the night. Travel booking agency Flight Centre agrees, writing on their website that taking your kids on a red-eye ensures that they stick to their regular sleep schedule. TikTok is definitely endorsing this idea, with one user @julianamirandalima advising fellow parents to tucker their toddlers out before they even get on the plane so that the little ones are jones-ing for a nap after takeoff. She states that she has taught her child to associate flights with sleeping, which we think is genius.
We all know that airplane seats, especially in economy, are not the comfiest for adults, let alone children. One TikTok user demonstrates the must-have travel essential for getting her child to drift off on a long-haul flight. Sharing to her 1.6 million followers, user Amy Chang swears by an inflatable child airplane bed that allows her kid to sleep comfortably while still buckled into their seat. Her hack has been liked more than 177,000 times, so she’s definitely on to something!
