Sleeping Ideas with a Toddler or Baby when living in a Caravan – That will keep everyone sane. 

by | Jul 28, 2019 | Uncategorized

We are always looking for new ways to help improve everyone’s sleep. It’s even more important now living in a caravan, where the boys are literally on top of each other(hooray for bunk beds). 

Some great tips and tricks for better sleep in a caravan with a toddler and baby.   

Things to make note of before heading off on your first trip. 

Before you jump in the car ready to hit the road, you should put some energy into thinking about the following points so you can be prepared for any sleep issues that might arise. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

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Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Can the designated area be blocked out from noise and light?

It took us one trip down south to realise we needed to make some changes to the caravan. We had completely lost our nights. As our caravan didn’t have separated areas we couldn’t black out where the boys slept. We ended up having to go to bed when they did just because of the lights being on. We decided to add a retractable curtain rod. We chose this because we didn’t want to screw in a fixed pole. A few reasons for our choice. When we have the aircon or heater on, we can bring the rod down slightly to allow airflow into the boy’s area. We are also able to completely take out the curtain if we don’t want it. 

Since adding the curtain, it has changed everything. We have found that we got our nights back to have some time together. We are able to still watch a movie without worrying the flicking lights would wake the boys up and finish doing the dishes. It also helped for day time naps, because we didn’t have to close all the shutters to make the caravan dark we just closed the curtain.

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Can the designated area be blocked out from noise and light?

It took us one trip down south to realise we needed to make some changes to the caravan. We had completely lost our nights. As our caravan didn’t have separated areas we couldn’t black out where the boys slept. We ended up having to go to bed when they did just because of the lights being on. We decided to add a retractable curtain rod. We chose this because we didn’t want to screw in a fixed pole. A few reasons for our choice. When we have the aircon or heater on, we can bring the rod down slightly to allow airflow into the boy’s area. We are also able to completely take out the curtain if we don’t want it. 

Since adding the curtain, it has changed everything. We have found that we got our nights back to have some time together. We are able to still watch a movie without worrying the flicking lights would wake the boys up and finish doing the dishes. It also helped for day time naps, because we didn’t have to close all the shutters to make the caravan dark we just closed the curtain.

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Like us,kids like to have a space to call their own and feel comfortable and safe in. As much as our boys still end up in our beds most nights,we still made sure that they both had their own space. A few weeks before we started on our trip we started sleeping in the caravan. We did this so we could move out of the house but most importantlytoget the boys usedto sleeping in their new beds. Surprisingly, we actually found that they slept so much better in the caravan than they did in their cots. 

If we were to grow the family we have often spoken about making sure the extra addition had their own space. Our current caravan only has a double bunk space so we would either find a bassinet that fits down the side of the bed or get a bigger caravan. We have seen some clever ideas where people turn a spare sitting area into a cot. 

We did the same for the dogs, we made sure that all of the dogs had their own area that was theirs and they knew was safe and comfortable. 

Can the designated area be blocked out from noise and light?

It took us one trip down south to realise we needed to make some changes to the caravan. We had completely lost our nights. As our caravan didn’t have separated areas we couldn’t black out where the boys slept. We ended up having to go to bed when they did just because of the lights being on. We decided to add a retractable curtain rod. We chose this because we didn’t want to screw in a fixed pole. A few reasons for our choice. When we have the aircon or heater on, we can bring the rod down slightly to allow airflow into the boy’s area. We are also able to completely take out the curtain if we don’t want it. 

Since adding the curtain, it has changed everything. We have found that we got our nights back to have some time together. We are able to still watch a movie without worrying the flicking lights would wake the boys up and finish doing the dishes. It also helped for day time naps, because we didn’t have to close all the shutters to make the caravan dark we just closed the curtain.

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Own Space or Area

Like us,kids like to have a space to call their own and feel comfortable and safe in. As much as our boys still end up in our beds most nights,we still made sure that they both had their own space. A few weeks before we started on our trip we started sleeping in the caravan. We did this so we could move out of the house but most importantlytoget the boys usedto sleeping in their new beds. Surprisingly, we actually found that they slept so much better in the caravan than they did in their cots. 

If we were to grow the family we have often spoken about making sure the extra addition had their own space. Our current caravan only has a double bunk space so we would either find a bassinet that fits down the side of the bed or get a bigger caravan. We have seen some clever ideas where people turn a spare sitting area into a cot. 

We did the same for the dogs, we made sure that all of the dogs had their own area that was theirs and they knew was safe and comfortable. 

Can the designated area be blocked out from noise and light?

It took us one trip down south to realise we needed to make some changes to the caravan. We had completely lost our nights. As our caravan didn’t have separated areas we couldn’t black out where the boys slept. We ended up having to go to bed when they did just because of the lights being on. We decided to add a retractable curtain rod. We chose this because we didn’t want to screw in a fixed pole. A few reasons for our choice. When we have the aircon or heater on, we can bring the rod down slightly to allow airflow into the boy’s area. We are also able to completely take out the curtain if we don’t want it. 

Since adding the curtain, it has changed everything. We have found that we got our nights back to have some time together. We are able to still watch a movie without worrying the flicking lights would wake the boys up and finish doing the dishes. It also helped for day time naps, because we didn’t have to close all the shutters to make the caravan dark we just closed the curtain.

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Own Space or Area

Like us,kids like to have a space to call their own and feel comfortable and safe in. As much as our boys still end up in our beds most nights,we still made sure that they both had their own space. A few weeks before we started on our trip we started sleeping in the caravan. We did this so we could move out of the house but most importantlytoget the boys usedto sleeping in their new beds. Surprisingly, we actually found that they slept so much better in the caravan than they did in their cots. 

If we were to grow the family we have often spoken about making sure the extra addition had their own space. Our current caravan only has a double bunk space so we would either find a bassinet that fits down the side of the bed or get a bigger caravan. We have seen some clever ideas where people turn a spare sitting area into a cot. 

We did the same for the dogs, we made sure that all of the dogs had their own area that was theirs and they knew was safe and comfortable. 

Can the designated area be blocked out from noise and light?

It took us one trip down south to realise we needed to make some changes to the caravan. We had completely lost our nights. As our caravan didn’t have separated areas we couldn’t black out where the boys slept. We ended up having to go to bed when they did just because of the lights being on. We decided to add a retractable curtain rod. We chose this because we didn’t want to screw in a fixed pole. A few reasons for our choice. When we have the aircon or heater on, we can bring the rod down slightly to allow airflow into the boy’s area. We are also able to completely take out the curtain if we don’t want it. 

Since adding the curtain, it has changed everything. We have found that we got our nights back to have some time together. We are able to still watch a movie without worrying the flicking lights would wake the boys up and finish doing the dishes. It also helped for day time naps, because we didn’t have to close all the shutters to make the caravan dark we just closed the curtain.

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
  • Have you got all of your child’s favourites? 
    • Making sure that you pack your child’s favourite blanket or teddy is always the most important thing for a good night’s sleep. Don’t forget an extra dummy or two!!
  • Have they got their own comfortable space to sleep in? 
    • This I think is important even when caravanning because children are more likely to sleep better when they are comfortable and safe in the space they are sleeping. 
  • Can their designated area be blocked out from noise and light?
    • Having a designated area that can be blocked away from most noise and light was the best thing for our own sanity. It also stopped us having to go to sleep at 7:30 when the boys did because we had nowhere to go.  
  • Have you got the Monitor??
    • Make sure you have brought the monitor!!! You will be surprised by how well the caravan can hold sound and having the monitor allows you to be outside during daytime naps. 

Packing all the Favourites 

When packing for any trip these are probably the first things that I put on the list and the last things I make sure have been packed when walking out the front door. Our boys both have dummies, and not just any dummy, specific ones that can’t possibly be their brothers’ ones. They also have a teddy each with my toddler having two favourite teddies that have to come everywhere. 

We are always petrified of losing these teddies, as they have obviously stopped being made once our boyshad formed a strong bond and cannot be replaced. We went and made dog collars for the teddies. Each teddy has its own dog collar with a dog tag that has my mobile number and email address on each. This has come in handy a few times when we have left one somewhere and had a very hilarious phone call saying someone was left behind. 

Wealsohave a lot of spare dummies for each boy. Dummies in the caravan, car and nappy bag.  We just figure why have a horrible car ride or night’s sleep just because we left yet another dummy at the last service station. 

We try with both the dummies and teddies that they are only allowed to have them in the caravan and car and not out and about exploring or playing around the caravan. This has helped a lot as the teddies tend to be left safely in the bunks and dummies in the cutlery drawer. 

We also try and do any of our driving for the day when they are more likely to be having a nap. Our boys sleep great in the car during the day. We have tried really hard to not drive at night so it doesn’t disturb their sleep. 

Own Space or Area

Like us,kids like to have a space to call their own and feel comfortable and safe in. As much as our boys still end up in our beds most nights,we still made sure that they both had their own space. A few weeks before we started on our trip we started sleeping in the caravan. We did this so we could move out of the house but most importantlytoget the boys usedto sleeping in their new beds. Surprisingly, we actually found that they slept so much better in the caravan than they did in their cots. 

If we were to grow the family we have often spoken about making sure the extra addition had their own space. Our current caravan only has a double bunk space so we would either find a bassinet that fits down the side of the bed or get a bigger caravan. We have seen some clever ideas where people turn a spare sitting area into a cot. 

We did the same for the dogs, we made sure that all of the dogs had their own area that was theirs and they knew was safe and comfortable. 

Can the designated area be blocked out from noise and light?

It took us one trip down south to realise we needed to make some changes to the caravan. We had completely lost our nights. As our caravan didn’t have separated areas we couldn’t black out where the boys slept. We ended up having to go to bed when they did just because of the lights being on. We decided to add a retractable curtain rod. We chose this because we didn’t want to screw in a fixed pole. A few reasons for our choice. When we have the aircon or heater on, we can bring the rod down slightly to allow airflow into the boy’s area. We are also able to completely take out the curtain if we don’t want it. 

Since adding the curtain, it has changed everything. We have found that we got our nights back to have some time together. We are able to still watch a movie without worrying the flicking lights would wake the boys up and finish doing the dishes. It also helped for day time naps, because we didn’t have to close all the shutters to make the caravan dark we just closed the curtain.

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

  • Have you got all of your child’s favourites? 
    • Making sure that you pack your child’s favourite blanket or teddy is always the most important thing for a good night’s sleep. Don’t forget an extra dummy or two!!
  • Have they got their own comfortable space to sleep in? 
    • This I think is important even when caravanning because children are more likely to sleep better when they are comfortable and safe in the space they are sleeping. 
  • Can their designated area be blocked out from noise and light?
    • Having a designated area that can be blocked away from most noise and light was the best thing for our own sanity. It also stopped us having to go to sleep at 7:30 when the boys did because we had nowhere to go.  
  • Have you got the Monitor??
    • Make sure you have brought the monitor!!! You will be surprised by how well the caravan can hold sound and having the monitor allows you to be outside during daytime naps. 

Packing all the Favourites 

When packing for any trip these are probably the first things that I put on the list and the last things I make sure have been packed when walking out the front door. Our boys both have dummies, and not just any dummy, specific ones that can’t possibly be their brothers’ ones. They also have a teddy each with my toddler having two favourite teddies that have to come everywhere. 

We are always petrified of losing these teddies, as they have obviously stopped being made once our boyshad formed a strong bond and cannot be replaced. We went and made dog collars for the teddies. Each teddy has its own dog collar with a dog tag that has my mobile number and email address on each. This has come in handy a few times when we have left one somewhere and had a very hilarious phone call saying someone was left behind. 

Wealsohave a lot of spare dummies for each boy. Dummies in the caravan, car and nappy bag.  We just figure why have a horrible car ride or night’s sleep just because we left yet another dummy at the last service station. 

We try with both the dummies and teddies that they are only allowed to have them in the caravan and car and not out and about exploring or playing around the caravan. This has helped a lot as the teddies tend to be left safely in the bunks and dummies in the cutlery drawer. 

We also try and do any of our driving for the day when they are more likely to be having a nap. Our boys sleep great in the car during the day. We have tried really hard to not drive at night so it doesn’t disturb their sleep. 

Own Space or Area

Like us,kids like to have a space to call their own and feel comfortable and safe in. As much as our boys still end up in our beds most nights,we still made sure that they both had their own space. A few weeks before we started on our trip we started sleeping in the caravan. We did this so we could move out of the house but most importantlytoget the boys usedto sleeping in their new beds. Surprisingly, we actually found that they slept so much better in the caravan than they did in their cots. 

If we were to grow the family we have often spoken about making sure the extra addition had their own space. Our current caravan only has a double bunk space so we would either find a bassinet that fits down the side of the bed or get a bigger caravan. We have seen some clever ideas where people turn a spare sitting area into a cot. 

We did the same for the dogs, we made sure that all of the dogs had their own area that was theirs and they knew was safe and comfortable. 

Can the designated area be blocked out from noise and light?

It took us one trip down south to realise we needed to make some changes to the caravan. We had completely lost our nights. As our caravan didn’t have separated areas we couldn’t black out where the boys slept. We ended up having to go to bed when they did just because of the lights being on. We decided to add a retractable curtain rod. We chose this because we didn’t want to screw in a fixed pole. A few reasons for our choice. When we have the aircon or heater on, we can bring the rod down slightly to allow airflow into the boy’s area. We are also able to completely take out the curtain if we don’t want it. 

Since adding the curtain, it has changed everything. We have found that we got our nights back to have some time together. We are able to still watch a movie without worrying the flicking lights would wake the boys up and finish doing the dishes. It also helped for day time naps, because we didn’t have to close all the shutters to make the caravan dark we just closed the curtain.

We also have this really great white noise machine. It runs off batteries and they seem to last forever. It’s great because we can make it slightly louder than what it needs to be if we know we will have a lot of noise around the caravan especially during day time naps. It blocks out noise as well as having a few different sounds to play but our boys only ever use the lullaby. 

One other modification we made to the caravan was adding felt stoppers to the roller blind on the door. This is always so noisy when opening and closing the door and is annoying in general, let alone when finally getting a grumpy baby to sleep and someone walks in.  

Have you got the monitor???

If you haven’t got one or not packed it yet…. GO do that now!!!  We specifically chose our monitor because it could be used on battery or being plugged in. We have also got a cord that does 12v charging for when we are off the grid and have no mains power.

Having a monitor allows us to put the kids to sleep and sit outside still entertaining. You would be surprised to hear how noise proof the caravan really is. We have had a few times when we were outside and didn’t realise someone was having a good scream inside. 

Having the monitor allows us to sit and relax without jumping up every 5 minutes to check on the kids. 

Just because you are living in a caravan and have small children doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep. As long as the kids have the usual sleeping comforts that make them feel safe they will be more likely to sleep anywhere, making sure that they have an area they can call their own and feel comfortable in. 

Using a curtain and noise machines to make the kid’s area a bit more segregated and sleep-friendly also helps especially for the day time naps. This not only gives the kids a chance to have a good sleep but also gives you back your nights without having to turn everything off and go to sleep. 

Grab yourself a monitor and it will allow you to relax and enjoy the beautiful nature you’re there for. It’s not often our boys go to sleep at the same time every night it just depends on what we are doing or who we are with. They are fine they have adapted and they sleep better now than they ever have.

Thanks 

Caravanning101 

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