If it is night time at my destination, should I sleep on the plane?

There are many reasons a young child may struggle with day to day routines. The most common reason is their attention span. Up to the age of 5 years old, a child usually has one minute of attention span per age, so a 2 year old has a two minute attention span, a 4 year old has a 4 minute attention span, and so on and so forth.

The second most common reason is that they are given too much responsibility too soon. While children can help with chores at all ages, the chores need to be age appropriate, so you might give a 2 year old a dust rag to wipe a table with but you wouldn't give them a vacuum cleaner of course.

Another common reason is that children don't get nearly enough sound sleep these days. Infants and toddlers need on average 12-14 hours of sleep a night. Some may be able to get away with as few as 10 hours, and others may need as many as 16 hours of sleep a night. 3-5 year old's need anywhere from 10-13 hours of sleep a night and some need as many as 14 hours of sleep a night, while others can survive on only 9 hours of sleep a night. Older children in the 6-13 range need a minimum of 9 hours a sleep a night, and the average child in that range needs 10-11 hours of sleep. Some get by on as few as 7 hours while others need as many as 12 hours. No child under the age of 13 should be sleeping less than 9 hours a night. If they are, it could be one of the reasons that you struggle with the day to day routine, especially if it's the morning routine.

Other common reasons for a child having a hard time with a day to day routine is the need for a nap, not drinking enough water, too long of a wait between meals or snacks that's causing low blood pressure, and distractions by siblings, video games, etc.

in general medications used for sleep disorders are not recommended for children. Sometimes children suffer from sleep problems that become a real problem for their daily life. Family doctors will sometimes use other medications to help this problem i.e. anti histamines, melatonin or blood pressure drugs which can be used under strict supervision for a brief time.

Try some of the following tips. It's what I use to help myself feel relaxed and then I can fall asleep easier.

Try going to bed at the same time every night, even on the weekends. The routine is really helpful for your body clock.

Follow the same kind of routine every night ie shower, teeth, reading in bed as this also sends triggers to your mind.

Sleep in a cool room without any background noise.

On average, a person needs about 7-8 hours a night. It's very individual and some people need around 10 and others can cope with less. A lot of people don't get as much sleep as they really need. If you are sleeping less than you need you should try some natural remedies to extend your night of sleeping. I would not rush to take any kind of medication unless you have confirmed with your doctor that it's a sleep disorder.

While in flight, avoid sleeping at times that wouldn't be appropriate for sleep at your destination

For treating jet lag, it is suggested that a dose between 0.3 mg and 5 mg of melatonin be taken on the first day you travel at the time you will want to go to sleep at your destination. This may be continued at bedtime for a few days once you are at your destination.