Encourage an Infant to Sleep During a Long Plane Trip

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  Schedule a long flight in the evening, when baby typically sleeps.sunset image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
  
  Reserve seats on a flight that is scheduled to leave during the infant's regular sleep schedule. For a cross-ocean flight, schedule to leave in the evening. A flight that is less than 6 hours could be scheduled whenever the infant takes a longer nap so that most of the time is spent sleeping.
  
  
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  A window seat works best for getting an infant to sleep.airplane window image by chadidork from Fotolia.com
  
  Reserve seats by the window. According to USA Today in "How to Get an Infant to Sleep on Long Flights," window seats are not only darker, but there are less distractions of other passengers, airline workers, and noise.
  
  
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  An extra seat will provide some room to maneuver.Empty airplane seats image by TekinT from Fotolia.com
  
  Reserve a seat for the baby. While most airlines don't require parents to buy a ticket for an infant, they usually offer them at reduced rates. For a long flight, it is worth it to have a little extra space to buffer you and the baby from the next passenger.
  
  
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  Bring any items that will help comfort an infant.pacifier image by Jane September from Fotolia.com
  
  Bring comfort items. According to Easy Baby Life in "Traveling with Baby?" Anything that makes the infant's sleep situation as normal as possible will be helpful. Pacifiers, favorite blankets, and toys can all help the infant to relax and be able to sleep.
  
  
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  Feeding an infant will prevent ear pain on the plane.baby's bottle image by Georgios Alexandris from Fotolia.com
  
  Feed the baby during the plane's ascent to alleviate ear pressure so that the baby doesn't experience lingering pain which could prevent sleep. Have a bottle ready as the plane takes off. The sucking motion will make the infant's ears pop and avoid discomfort.
  
  
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  Consider how a time zone change will affect the babies sleeping schedule.CLOCK image by SKYDIVECOP from Fotolia.com
  
  Consider the time zone. When staying at your destination more than a couple of days, the infants schedule will adjust to that time, so schedule the return flight in response to the new schedule. In "How Time Changes, Vacations, and Temperament will Affect Your Baby's Schedule" Baby Center encourages parents to be mindful of the fact that time flucuations can change a baby's schedule so plan a return flight accordingly.