Co-Sleeping in Thailand: How Our Family Slept Surprisingly Well While Travelling

As we stepped off the plane, we were hit with that sudden sensory overload. The glare of the sunshine, the thick smell of hot tarmac, the heat rising like we'd just opened an oven door… we’d arrived in Bangkok.

My husband and I were big travellers before having kids. I’ve visited around 40 countries, and we always assumed that when children came along, we’d just bring them along for the ride. But with a baby born in 2020 and then a second with medically complex needs, we’d quietly shelved the idea of big adventures — at least for a while.

And yet, in March 2025, there we were — backpacks on, kids in tow — getting off the plane and feeling like we were reclaiming a little piece of that old life.

We decided to visit several locations in Thailand (not too many — the kids are only 5 and 1). As a Holistic Sleep Coach, I knew that this would mean multiple sleep setups and very little routine — both of which are usually essential ingredients for consistent, quality sleep. But surprisingly? Sleep was amazing. Despite the new beds, shifting bedtimes, sharing rooms, and unpredictable routines, we all slept really well.

Because here’s the thing: sleep when you're away can surprise you — sometimes for the better.

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🛏️ Our Sleep Setup in Thailand

We stayed exclusively in hotels, which is so unlike us. Pre-kids, it was all private room hostels and guesthouses. Post-kids, we usually choose self-catering so we can cook whenever we need to — but the joy of travelling somewhere like Thailand is that eating out is cheap, delicious, and totally stress-free. So we went hotel-style for this trip.

Booking tip: Always check the bed setup. Many hotels will automatically suggest booking two rooms, but when we looked closer, one room often had two double beds (or a double and a single), and most could provide a cot. We only ever booked one room and simply double-checked they could accommodate our family.

At home, we bedshare and use blackout blinds — but we chose not to bring those with us, trusting that the familiarity of co-sleeping would be enough to help the kids settle. We brought our 5-year-old’s favourite toy, loaded a few meditations and stories onto her Yoto Player, and kept her evening wind-down as familiar as possible.

Where space allowed, we put mattresses on the floor. Where it didn’t, our 1-year-old slept between my husband and me, and our 5-year-old had a bed to herself. At home, we split — my husband sleeps with our eldest, and I’m with our toddler — but we adapted with ease.

There was no rigid bedtime routine. Instead, we relied on one of my favourite parenting tools: sleep pressure.

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🌙 When Sleep Gets Better on Holiday

If I’d done this trip as a first-time mum, I’d have worried so much about how sleep would go. But the truth? Sleep was a breeze.

My youngest is still fed to sleep, and I can breastfeed him to sleep anywhere — on the beach, in a tuk tuk, at a bustling night market — and he’ll settle beautifully. My 5-year-old is a little more particular, but when we were back in our room at a reasonable hour, she could slip into a familiar rhythm: tooth brushing, a little dance party, a chapter of a book, and then a story on her Yoto.

And the thing is, sleep often improves while travelling. Here's why:

- Parents are less stressed, which kids pick up on. There’s no rush to be anywhere, no school runs or endless to-do lists.

- Children get huge amounts of natural light, which supports their circadian rhythm — the internal body clock that regulates sleep and wake cycles.

- There’s more sensory stimulation and physical activity, which helps build up homeostatic sleep pressure — that biological drive to sleep that grows the longer we’re awake.

- And most importantly? There’s deep, emotional connection. Being together all day, every day builds a sense of safety, which can significantly reduce night waking.

💡 Science spotlight: What is sleep pressure?

Sleep pressure (also known as the homeostatic sleep drive) builds the longer your child is awake. It’s like a balloon filling slowly throughout the day — and when it's full, the body is ready for sleep. On holiday, with more time outdoors, more activity, and longer stretches between sleep, this pressure builds naturally. The result? They fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer.

For us, this meant our 1-year-old slept through the night more often than he does at home — and if you’re wondering, that’s still only a couple of times a week. (Totally normal!)

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⚠️ When Sleep Goes Sideways

One strategy we’ve used in the past — the family nap — just didn’t work for us this time. It’s a great idea in theory: hide from the hottest part of the day, cool off with some air con, and have a nap or quiet time as a family. Then head out again later for dinner and exploring.

But our daughter has serious FOMO and only napped once the entire trip. Plus, being confined to a dark hotel room in the middle of the day just didn’t feel worth it — we ditched the idea by day three.

Jet lag was tricky for the first few days. Here’s what helped:

- Exposing ourselves to morning sunlight to reset our circadian rhythms

- Eating meals at local times

- Shifting immediately to the new time zone, rather than trying to keep UK time

- Offering short naps if the kids were clearly overtired, but always capping them so they didn’t interfere with bedtime

We also faced the classic sibling problem — one waking the other. White noise was a lifesaver, as was pre-agreeing which parent would respond to which child so we could move fast.

💡 Why routine disruption affects sleep:

Children thrive on predictability. Routines are a series of cues that tell the brain “it’s time to sleep.” When those cues change — different beds, smells, temperatures, or environments — the brain has to work harder to feel safe enough to switch off. The stress hormone cortisol can rise in new or uncertain settings, making it harder for kids to settle or stay asleep.

One night, I barely slept at all. My son spiked a fever, and I panicked — was it heat stroke? Something tropical? Your nervous system goes into overdrive when you’re away from familiar comforts and dealing with unknowns. My son’s complex medical history means I’m constantly scanning for danger. But it turned out to be a simple slapped cheek virus — something he picked up from nursery. Just one of those parenting moments magnified by being far from home.

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💡 Sleep Tips for Travelling Families

If you’re travelling with babies or young kids, here are my best tips for making sleep easier:

- Keep things familiar where you can. Don’t stress about the clock, but try to keep consistent nap spacing and wind-down cues.

- Bring sleep tools for on-the-go naps. For us, slings were a game-changer. I especially loved the Hippie Joey Water Sling — it’s SPF50, breathable, washable, and packs down super small. We used it daily, and yes, my baby even slept in it in the pool!

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- Don’t fear contact naps. If it’s hot, place a cool damp cloth between you and your baby.

- Let go of perfection. Sleep will probably look different — and that’s okay. Kids bounce back. You will too.

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💬 Final Thoughts

Travel can feel daunting when you have little ones — especially when sleep has been hard-won at home. But sometimes, travel offers exactly what your family needs: connection, adventure, and a new rhythm. One that’s shaped less by routine and more by trust, flexibility, and shared joy.

So if you’re on the fence about booking that trip? This is your sign. Take the naps where you can. Let go of the rest. And pack the sling.

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