overnight flight with 10 month old question

I am starting to get really worried about our flight to Ireland with DD in 2 weeks when she will be 10 months old. It is a 5.5 hour overnight flight, leaving JFK at 10pm and arriving Dublin 9am Irish time. When we did this flight back in October, DD was 3.5 months and basically slept the entire time so it was a breeze. However now she is a busy active baby who really relys on her sleep schedule to be happy. I mean this is seriously the worst time a flight could be for her nighttime sleep. She usually is a nightmare by 630pm and is in bed asleep at 7. For this flight, we have to obviously be at the airport checking in, going through security and boarding after her usual bedtime, and this is a child that will not sleep in her stroller while we're doing all that. What in the world are we going to do? I am really starting to dread this as we get closer to the trip. Any suggestions?

Re: overnight flight with 10 month old question

Hi - I've done NY-London with my DS three times - at 10 weeks, 5 months and just two weeks ago at 8 months. He was obviously easiest at 10 weeks!

But I find the red-eye bit to be the easy leg. The past two times we've done the late flight too - around 10:30. DS usually sleeps on the way to the airport and then he's up for check-in, security and waiting around and then as soon as the plane takes off, he conks straight out and sleeps pretty much the entire way. He was then up with all the commotion of landing/disembarkation and was up through immigration and luggage and then went to sleep on the tube back to London.

At Christmas our flight was delayed and we didn't depart until around 12:30, so DS was a nightmare with jetlag for a few days after (up from about 12 - 3am ) but this last time, he was pretty much fine. We put him to bed about an hour to an hour and a half later than we normally would to start and then inched his bedtime backwards over a few days until he was back on track.

Now the flight TO NY That's the tough part IMO! I suggest lots of snacks, some new toys that your DD has never seen before, plus some old favorites. In the end she'll just play with the remote for the tv, a plastic cup, the toothbrush in your flight pack, etc

FM me if you think I can help with any questions! Good luck!

Re: overnight flight with 10 month old question

I would travel through the airport with him in the Bjorn! when i traveled to aruba with my 11 mo old he fell asleep for a lot of it and I had both my arms free and used the stroller for storage of my carry ons! (Def gate check your stroller)