Best travel sleep option for 5 year olds

[Melaine]

I am just sure this is going to be one of those times that I regret not buying something a long time ago the first time we needed it.

The girls have slept here and there when we travel. We used a tent for awhile and put them in sleeping bags. Sometimes they will get a big bed and we will just try to pile the pillows around them. We've never had an inflatable or a cot of any kind.

Thanksgiving our sleep was a NIGHTMARE. The girls were on a pallet on the floor and they were super restless, then I got down there with them and it was SO uncomfortable I felt awful for them. Plus they were congested I think from something at my parents' house so there was lots of coughing and sniffling but that's another problem...

For Christmas we will be at the beach for several nights. We have the option of staying up to a week and it really depends on how we are sleeping if we decided to stay there or not.

Is an inflatable mattress the best option for them. They are kind of tall for 5, maybe 43"? Or are any of those little cots ok for that age? I need a deal on whatever the option is because DH is going to balk but I think it will be worth it!!!

Sorry so long...I get worked up when I think about not sleeping well on vacation!:rotflmao:

[jellibeans]

We use an inflatable mattress for our 3 year old and he sleeps on it fine. It looks like this: http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Twin-Air-Built--Pump/dp/B000P9H07C/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1323198681&sr=8-14
Another option if you have a bed at the hotel/house where you are staying is to buy some travel bed rails.

[Simon]

We have had good luck with kids on inflatable airmattresses. Both your 5yo and our 1yo have slept on them multiple nights and quite recently.

Another option might be the individual sized inflatable camping pads, a good idea if you'll have future use for them.

[boolady]

DD is 46 3/4" tall and has spent the last two nights sleeping on my parents' borrowed full-size inflatable Aerobed. It uses regular full or double bed sheets, so there's more than enough room and should be for both of your girls...a few years back, DH's cousin and her family came and her then 7-y/o boy and 5 y/o girl slept on it together.

[Momit]

We have moved the mattress of a hotel bed onto the floor, so it's not as high up if DS rolls out. It seems pretty comfortable. That's about the best solution we've come up with.

[Melaine]

Does anyone have a kid as old as a 5 year old on the Regalo my cot? It seems like it would be big enough but probably not for too long.

We won't have a bed (I don't think, it's uncertain how many people will be there), and if they are in our room it will be pretty tight, so I am sure a full or queen inflatable is out.

[Kindra178]

My 46 inch 5 year old still fits fine on a Shrunks toddler air bed. It's narrow and long enough. It's probably not an investment you want to make, especially for two. I do think two single aerobeds would be a great investment, especially for future travel and sleepovers.

[wendibird22]

We bought the toddler aero beds for both girls to use on Thanksgiving travel. Both slept wonderfully on them once the novelty of them being a fun trampoline wore off. We all stayed in SILs tiny bed room and there was enough floor space to put the beds side by side next to our bed (we of course had to hurl ourselves onto the bed from the doorway but that's a funny story for another thread). Super easy to inflate, come with their own carry bag AND flannel fitted sheet (very high quality), roll back up easily. I hesitated to spend the $$ but they are worth it and I think we'll get years of use out of them (amazon reviews have 7yo still using them).

[tarahsolazy]

Buy two twin aerobeds or generic Target equivalents. They will be usable for ever, as your kids can't outgrow them. We've been using them for our kids since they were around 3. Even in a pretty small room we've managed to get both of them on the floor, sometimes not much room to walk around, but that's not a huge deal.

[hillview]

Aerobed or mattress on the floor.

[egoldber]

Where are you staying? Is there not a regular bed that they can use? My girls share a double bed when we travel.