"I am shocked over how many times we used this- on the plane, on her stroller during off-hour daytime naps, at the pool, ON A BOAT!
She slept through it all. If you are on the fence, let this be your sign to buy it!"
Niki K.

Beating baby jet lag: our travel lifesavers on our first long-haul adventure

by Emma Lovell 3 min read

Guest post by Allie, founder of family travel blog Little Brits Abroad, a go-to resource full of travel hacks and destination guides for parents with young children.

You might think that a long-haul flight with a baby is a terrible idea, not just because of the flight itself, but also due to the time zone changes at the other end. However, after our first flight with our 7-month-old son, I believe that with the right tools and a little forward planning, family adventures don’t need to come at the cost of everyone’s sleep.

When we booked our first trip to the US, I’d braced myself for jet-lag-induced night wakings and overtired chaos. What surprised me was how much smoother things felt once we actually arrived at our destination, thanks to some strategic wake/bed times in the week prior to our travel, light exposure upon arrival, and, importantly, our CoziGo, which quickly became the MVP of our holiday.

Here’s what worked for us: 

1. Start adjusting before you fly

Rather than hoping for the best when you get to where you’re going, you can nudge your little one’s body clock in the right direction while you’re still at home. We found shifting bedtime by 20-30 minutes each day in the run-up to travel softened the blow. Even aiming for a ‘halfway’ schedule (as opposed to fully aligning with your destination’s time zone) can make mornings and evenings less brutal when you land.


2. Create a dark, calm sleep space anywhere with your CoziGo

Your little one’s jet lag recovery depends on getting good quality naps, and those can be tough when you’re in airports, on planes, or staying somewhere without blackout blinds. That’s where the CoziGo really changed the game for us.

On the flight, it transformed the bassinet into a dark cocoon, blocking out cabin lights and movement - and this really is a game-changer. Once in Boston, we clipped it onto the stroller so our baby could nap properly outdoors while we explored the city. The ability to have high-quality naps while on the go allowed us to make the most of the daytime, making bedtime so much easier.

3. Use daylight as your ally

Once you land, natural light is your best tool for resetting body clocks. Get outside as soon as you can - whether that’s a walk around the local area, a morning trip to a playground, or breakfast on a balcony. Daylight helps your baby’s body clock catch up more quickly, and the opposite is also true: dim, calm evenings signal bedtime.

4. Be flexible with routine (but keep familiar anchors)

It’s tempting to cling to your home schedule, but a bit of flexibility goes a long way. We let naps happen in the pram (CoziGo again to the rescue!), and didn’t panic if they came at ‘the wrong time’. The one thing we kept consistent was our bedtime routine: a familiar sleeping bag, white noise, a story, and a feed. Those little cues reassured our baby that it was time for a longer stretch of sleep.

5. Shift feeding times with local meals

For younger babies, milk feeds are tied closely to sleep patterns. Offering milk in line with local mealtimes helped us synchronise our baby’s body clock with the new time zone. And just like adults, being well fed and hydrated makes it easier to settle into rest.

6. Lower your expectations (and enjoy the upside of early mornings!)

Even with the best preparation, mild jet lag can take a few days to shake off. We kept our mindset realistic: the goal wasn’t perfect sleep, but enough sleep for us to enjoy the trip.

We turned early wake-ups into sunrise walks, often finding ourselves exploring beautiful spots along Boston’s harbour before the crowds arrived.

Why I’d never travel long-haul without the CoziGo again

We used various tips to help us adjust to US time, but if I had to name one thing that made the biggest difference, it was having a portable blackout sleep pod on the plane and then out and about during our holiday. The CoziGo gave our son the best chance of a decent nap, wherever we were, and that had a positive knock-on effect on everything else. 

Jet lag with a baby will never be effortless, but with the right prep (and a little magic from a trusty sleep aid), it can be so much more manageable than you might think. 


I never imagined I would feel this relaxed at in-flight meal time


This is British Airways bouncer style bassinet designed for larger babies




For more family travel tips, relatable stories, and ready-to-go destination guides, check out Little Brits Abroad.


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