Jetlag in Infants and Toddlers
Published on
Family vacations are a great way for parents to bond with their kids. Sometimes, this includes traveling with a baby. Tired of “staycations,” parents are booking trips across the country and abroad. Flights across timezones can wreak havoc on everyone's circadian rhythms, but can especially cause sleep difficulties in infants and young children. Troublesome jet lag can be an unwanted result of taking a big family vacation.
What Is Jet Lag?
Jet lag is a type of sleep disorder. The body’s internal sleep “clock” is out of sync with the local time of the travel destination. The daylight and darkness hours are different from what the body is accustomed to, causing a person to feel awake or sleepy at the wrong times. Jet lag symptoms are more likely when traveling from an western to eastern timezone, or when the time difference is more than three hours. It can cause a baby who normally sleeps through the night to wake frequently. Toddlers may become cranky or have more tantrums until they have adjusted to the new timezone.
The Circadian Rhythm
Our sleep cycles are dependent on a normal functioning “body clock” known as the circadian rhythm. This is a 24 hour cycle that is controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus in hypothalamus area of the brain. It responds when our eyes sense light or darkness, and sends the appropriate signals to organs throughout the body. Different organs function more during the daytime than while sleeping.
In order for the circadian rhythm to function properly, the suprachiasmatic nucleus must regulate body temperature, and the release of melatonin and cortisol. These three components allow sleep to occur at the appropriate time.
Melatonin
This pineal gland hormone helps us to fall asleep. It is suppressed by sunlight, bright indoor lights, and blue light emitted from screened devices.
Cortisol
This adrenal gland hormone helps the body manage physical and mental stress. There are lower amounts of cortisol in the bloodstream at night-time. Levels increase just prior to waking, and peak during the mid-morning hours.
Body Temperature
Normally, body temperature is lower during the evening hours which helps with sleep onset.
Infant And Toddler Circadian Rhythms Are Different
At birth, a baby’s circadian rhythm has not yet developed. During fetal life, the sleep cycle is regulated by maternal melatonin and cortisol that are sent via the placenta. Newborns who are breastfed receive components that help with their sleep cycles. Daytime breastmilk is higher in cortisol and tyrosine that keep babies awake. Evening breastmilk has more melatonin and tryptophan to promote sleep. Early signs of a developing circadian rhythm appear between ages six to nine months, helping infants to sleep six hours or more at night. However, the suprachiasmatic nucleus is not fully functional until age two to three years old. As a result, over 45 percent of infants have night-time fussiness, waking, or difficultly falling asleep in their home environment. Adding travel to this scenario can make it even more difficult for babies to sleep.
Symptoms of Jet Lag
Crossing timezones may cause daytime sleepiness, overall crankiness, or few symptoms at all. Younger infants sleep at more frequent intervals, and take daytime naps. If these infants continue this routine while traveling, the effects on their sleep cycle may be minimal. Older infants and toddlers who typically remain awake most of the day, however, can experience jet lag. Possible symptoms include:
- Fussiness without signs of illness, hunger, or other discomfort
- Drowsiness during daytime hours
- Awake at times when normally asleep
- Constipation
These symptoms occur because the suprachiasmatic nucleus sends signals to the body’s organs at times that don’t fit the new timezone. For example, cortisol may be released from the adrenal glands at night instead of during the early morning hours.
What Can Be Done to Minimize Jet Lag?
If traveling for three days or less, it may not be worth the effort to change a baby’s sleep schedule. Maintaining the same sleep/wake hours keeps your baby on the usual routine. This also avoids the need to re-adjust the sleep schedule after returning home. For longer trips, there are a few strategies that can help reduce the symptoms of jet lag.
- Start adjusting the sleep/wake schedule three days prior to travel.
- Book a morning or early afternoon flight
- If there is still daylight when you arrive at your travel destination,
- As much as possible,
- Prevent dehydration and constipation
Preventing jet lag during long haul travel that involves an eight hour or longer time difference can be more challenging. A morning flight in the departure city may arrive during the nighttime at the destination. In such situations, it is best to limit exposure to bright light, and to try to sleep before the sun rises. Arriving at bedtime has been shown to reduce jet lag, and makes the adjustment to the new timezone much easier. The circadian rhythm typically resets after three days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the risk factors for more severe jet lag?
Travel in an eastward direction and crossing a greater number of timezones causes more severe jet lag symptoms. Overnight flights are often associated with poor sleep during travel which can also exacerbate symptoms.
What sedatives can be used for babies on flights?
Parents most frequently ask doctors about giving Benadryl. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend its use for plane travel unless advised by a doctor. Some infants and children experience the opposite of the desired effect, and become hyperactive instead of sleepy.
In general, it is best not to use sedatives on flights. The baby may not wake to drink an adequate amount of fluids, and may become dehydrated. The medication may also not wear off as soon as expected, and the child may still be sleepy upon arrival at your destination.
Can babies/toddlers/children take melatonin for flights?
Although melatonin supplements have been shown to reduce jet lag in adults, its effects and safety for this purpose have not been studied in infants or children. The majority of products on the market are not recommended under the age of three. Some kid formulations also contain cannabinoid derivatives, and should, therefore, not be given.
Is jet lag worse or less severe in older children, adolescents, and adults?
Although caring for a cranky infant or toddler is no fun, jet lag is more problematic for older children, adolescents, and adults. Frequent jet lag can have adverse health affects such as high cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Daytime fatigue can affect performance during school and sports. Adults are more likely to have a motor vehicle accident if driving while jet lagged. To prevent this, it may be best to take a taxi, ride-share service, or public transportation at your travel destination and after your flight home.
Are difficulties with sleep due to "daylight savings” time changes similar to jet lag?
Yes, the difficulties adjusting to “daylight savings” and standard time changes are similar to jet lag. It may take a few days for your baby or toddler to adjust to the one hour time difference. Using some of the same techniques that reduce jet lag symptoms can make the transition easier.
