Overnight Flight With a Baby: Sleeping in the Bassinet

On an overnight flight with a baby, do a short version of the bedtime routine before you board and finish it after takeoff. Then put your baby down in the bassinet on their back, in a sleep sack, and expect to lift them out every time the seatbelt sign comes on. Treat whatever sleep you get as a bonus, not the plan. Most babies sleep in broken stretches on a night flight rather than straight through. The two things that decide how the night goes are the bassinet’s limits, which are stricter than most parents expect, and having a calm, unhurried plan for when your baby won’t settle. Booking the bassinet row is covered in my flying with a baby tips. This is about the night itself.

Before boarding: half a bedtime

Boarding usually lands right in the middle of bedtime, so split the routine in two.

At the gate (the first half). Change into pyjamas and a fresh diaper, and dim things however you can: a quiet corner, a carrier, a darker part of the gate area. Don’t do the full feed and lights-out yet. A baby who falls asleep at the gate gets woken by boarding, and a broken first sleep is the hardest one to rebuild.

After takeoff (the second half). Your baby needs to be held for takeoff anyway, so feed then. Sucking helps with ear pressure, and a full feed is your strongest sleep cue. Once the plane levels off and the bassinet goes up, finish with whatever is left of your routine: the sleep sack, the same song, white noise on low.

Two cues are worth packing because they work in any cabin. A familiar sleep sack, such as the HALO SleepSack, means “bed” whether you’re at home or at 35,000 feet. A small white-noise machine like the Yogasleep Rohm, on low and close to your own seat, smooths over the cabin’s chimes and announcements. My guide to baby sleep while traveling has the full portable kit.

The bassinet: what it can and can’t do

A bassinet is a small cot that clips to the bulkhead wall in front of the first row of a section. Three limits catch parents out:

• Size limits are strict. Delta, for example, allows its bassinets for babies under 25 lb (11.3 kg) and up to 26 inches (66 cm) long, on widebody international flights or widebody domestic flights over 1,500 miles. Other airlines set their own limits. A long six-month-old can outgrow one before you’d expect, so check your airline’s numbers against your baby’s actual length.
• Your baby comes out whenever the seatbelt sign is on. Delta says infants must be held during takeoff, landing and whenever the seat belt light is on. On a bumpy night that can mean lifting a sleeping baby out several times.
• It’s still a sleep space, so safe-sleep rules apply. The AAP says to put babies to sleep on their backs, on a firm flat surface, with no blankets, pillows or toys. If you’re worried about cold, use layers or a wearable blanket. The AAP also warns that overheating raises the risk of SIDS, and says babies need only one more layer than an adult would wear. That’s why I’d never drape a blanket over a bassinet to block the cabin lights, however tempting. Dim the light another way, for example by turning off your reading light and asking for the window shade down.

My lap infant guide covers fares and paperwork. The FAA’s own position is worth knowing too: it says the safest place for a child under two on a US plane is an approved child restraint system in their own seat, not a lap. With an older or longer baby, a purchased seat and an aircraft-approved car seat can beat the bassinet entirely.

Seatbelt-sign wake-ups: how to transfer without a full wake

The seatbelt sign will come on in the middle of the night. Here’s how to move your baby with the least disruption:

1. Before you sit down to sleep yourself, loosen your seatbelt so you can lift your baby without fumbling.
2. Lift them sleep sack and all, chest to chest, and hold them upright or in the feeding position they’re used to.
3. Keep the white noise on and the light off. Don’t talk, and don’t make eye contact.
4. Offer a feed or a dummy if they stir. It’s often the fastest way back to sleep.
5. Put them back in the bassinet once the sign goes off, on their back, and pause with your hand on their chest before you let go.

Some babies won’t go back in the bassinet after the second or third transfer. If yours settles on you, that’s fine, but read the next section first.

When the baby won’t settle

Overtired babies on planes often fight sleep: arching, wailing, sleeping for 20 minutes and then waking. What helps, in order:

• Change one thing at a time. Feed, then rock, then a walk to the galley, with a few minutes between each. Trying everything at once tends to overstimulate.
• Stand at the back of the cabin. Gentle swaying while standing works for many babies, and most crews don’t mind you using that space when the aisle is clear.
• Use the carrier, if your airline allows it outside takeoff and landing. Being held upright and close is familiar and calming.
• Accept a contact nap. If your baby will only sleep on you, let them. The real risk is you falling asleep too, in a seat that works much like an armchair. Betteroo’s guide to when a nap on a parent is fine and when it isn’t explains why that matters. If you feel yourself drifting, move your baby back to the bassinet or hand them to the other adult.

Expect tears on a night flight. A crying baby is uncomfortable for everyone around you, but staying calm and working through the list is all anyone can fairly ask of you.

Landing, and the first day

Feed your baby for the descent, just as for takeoff. Then plan the next day around light and short naps rather than catching up on sleep:

• Get outside in daylight soon after you land. Daylight at the right time of day is what helps a baby’s body clock catch up.
• Allow one or two short naps, not one long one. A three-hour arrival-day nap is tempting, but it makes the first night much harder.
• Go to bed early on local time and expect a night waking around your home bedtime. Handle it the same way you would at home.

The detailed day-by-day plan for crossing several time zones is in my baby jet lag guide.

A sleep plan that crosses time zones with you Betteroo builds your baby's nap and bedtime plan from their age and adjusts it for the days after a long flight, so the first week away isn't one long catch-up. Take the 2-minute sleep quiz →

FAQ: overnight flights with a baby

Is an overnight flight better with a baby?

Often, yes. A flight that overlaps your baby’s normal night gives them the best chance of sleeping. Expect broken sleep rather than a full night, and plan an easy first day.

How long can a baby sleep in a plane bassinet?

As long as the seatbelt sign stays off and your baby fits the airline’s size limits. Delta’s limit, for example, is under 25 lb and up to 26 inches. Your baby has to come out whenever the seatbelt sign is on.

Can I cover the bassinet with a blanket?

I wouldn’t. The AAP warns that overheating raises the risk of SIDS and says to keep blankets and other soft items out of a baby’s sleep space. Use a sleep sack and keep the area dim instead.

What if my baby cries the whole overnight flight?

Change one thing at a time, try standing and swaying at the back of the cabin, and offer feeds. Some nights are hard however well you plan. Make the first day of the trip a gentle one.