Tips To Help Your Toddler Sleep On Plane

Settling a younger baby to sleep on a plane, is definitely made easier with airplane bassinets, but settling an older,  more wilful toddler can be ‘interesting’. For me, getting a toddler to sleep at home is even a struggle!

We are nearly out of the toddler stage in family travel, but both girls have completed many long haul and ultra long haul flights during this stage and when flying as young babies. Below you’ll find some tips for flying with a toddler and travel tips which will hopefully help your toddler sleep on a plane too and manage some of their jet lag

*This post does contain some affiliate links, which will cost absolutely nothing to you. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

How To Help Your Toddler Sleep On A Plane

1) Choose a night flight if possible   This seriously helps even if your departure time is after normal sleep time. To avoid an overtired meltdown, we put our youngest to bed at normal time and wake her up when it is literally time to walk out the door.

This means she generally has enough energy to get her through the journey to the airport, check in and finally to after take off. Alternatively, we try and wear her out so much during the day, that she’ll cat nap in the car or taxi en route to the airport.

2) Choose seats carefully and try the spare seat trick. If it is just the three of you flying, then choosing a DEG seat and deliberately not choosing the F seat, may mean you end up with a row of 4 for free, as middle single seats are always the last to go; and worst case, the person who may be allocated that seat will always be happy to swap to the aisle so you can all be together.

If you are also travelling with a baby, then the bassinet bulkhead seat in the middle in newer aircrafts (A380, new B777) – seats DEFG have a flexible armrest between seat E and F meaning they can stretch out and lie on you.

3) Look into purchasing an airplane seat extender or toddler ‘bed’ for the plane; essentially an inflatable travel footrest, (sometimes known as an inflatable flight cushion or travel pillow).

These devices can be inflated manually or with a hand pump and slot in-between your seat and the seat in front in the footwell.

The most well known ones are Plane Pal,  BedBox by Stokke, the new Flyaway (see our review and discount code here) but there are other versions available too. Check out the rules of use below before you buy though! Not all airlines accept them and some airlines only accept specified brands.

I’ve included some other kids travel gadgets to help them sleep more comfortably below, including a selection of the best travel pillows for kids, such as Seat to Sleep. Note that flight hammocks, like Flye Legs Up, are often not allowed on airlines, (including ones that do allow parents to bring a sleep aid or toddler flight bed,) as they attach to a part of a plane. sometimes know as an inflatable flight cushion,

Product name	Image	Weight	Colour / Style	Price
Inflatable foot rest		0.36 kg	grey or blue	$ For the latest prices and more info see here
Plane Pal		1.3kg (includes a hand pump)	black	$$$ For the latest prices and more info see here
Jet Kids Bedbox		3kg	light grey	$$$$ For more information and latest price see here
Bcozzy Kids Neck Support Pillow		0.11kg	Various colours, pink, blue, red, green, black, purple	$$ For more information and latest prices see here
Trunki Yondi travel Pillow		0.09kg/3.52oz	Various colours and characters (owl, cat, dinosaur, monkey)	$$ For more information and latest prices see here
Dragon Shaped Neck Pillow		0.18kg/6.40z	Various colours and animal types including dog, cow, donkey & cat	$ For more information and latest price see here
Cloudz Animal Neck Pillow		0.09kg/3.2oz	Various animal types including alligator, pig, moose,	$ For more information and latest prices see here

Rules for Convertible Inflight Beds for Children

Travel cushions/inflatable leg rests etc are not always allowed on board and airline regulations vary. Currently, some of those who officially do NOT allow most sleep travel gadgets and say so on their website are:

Airlines who officially do NOT allow most sleep travel gadgets/airplane beds for toddlers and say so on their website are:

• Air France
• Air New Zealand – they do have a SkyCouch though. Note: they do not allow the CoziGo either.
• Alaska – they do not allow any inflatable footrest or anything that extends a seat or attached to the seat.
• Condor
• Delta – List of things prohibited: Knee defender, footrest or sling (Designed to attach to seat-back or window) Inflatable wedges, beds/cubes, Infant/baby hammock, personal pods and tents.)
• Emirates – will only allow Cozigo bassinet cover
• Eurowings
• Jetstar 
• Hawaiian – no inflatables or travel mattresses are allowed.
• Lufthansa
• THAI
• TUI
• Turkish Airlines – Confirmed directly with safety team that they do not allow any inflatable devices)
• South African
• Qantas – in August 2026 they allowed inflatable ones like Planepal – see below for more official details
• Qatar – Note they do not allow Cozigo either.
• United .

 Airlines which OFFICIALLY APPROVE some sleep devices for children (as long as certain guidelines are met) These airlines give clear guidelines and rules for use on their website:

However, note that the final decision will always rest with the crew.

• Air Asia They must meet certain criteria, including, fitting the seat’s pitch and width and properly secured onto the seat without interfering or causing damage to the armrest, tray table, and seat pocket.
• Air Canada – Infant beds like eg Flyaway, Bedbox can be used onboard when the plane seatbelt sign is off ie NOT during taxi, take-off, turbulence and landing. If traveling with Air Canada, and queried, please ask the crew politely to check their manuals as this is a recent change. Similar items are not permitted if they attached to a fixed part of the aircraft.
• Air Mauritius Note: children MUST be removed from any device if the seat belt sign is switched on.
• American Airways – Yes – see image below for full details.
• American Airlines – see image below
• ANA (Hammock-type bed products cannot be used) but inflatables such as Planepal, Flyaway or Bedbox types are allowed.
• British Airways. Now allow Planepal, (Can be used on a window, centre and bulkhead row centre seat when the person sitting in the window seat is in your party. Not permitted in an emergency exit row or on an aisle seat) Flyaway (Can be used on a window, centre and bulkhead row centre seat when the person sitting in the window seat is in your party. Not permitted in an emergency exit row or on an aisle seat) .and Bedbox (Can be used on a window and centre seat when the person sitting in the window seat is in your party. Not permitted in an emergency exit row, bulkhead row or an aisle seat.)and Kooshy Kids Kushion: (Can be used in all window and centre seating, including bulkhead rows when the person sitting next to the child is part in your party. Cannot be used in aisle seats. Not permitted in an emergency exit row, or one row forward or behind an emergency exit row.)
• Brussels Airline Inflight bed/leg rest extension e.g. BedBox, Fly Tot, 1st Class Kid Travel Pillow, Plane Pal are allowed. A device of this type is allowed, as long as it is not attached directly to the seat. It may not be used during take-off, taxiing or landing and it may not hinder other passengers. 
• Cathay Pacific
• Etihad
• EVA air
• Garuda Note: fasten the seatbelt at all times when using
• JAL
• KLM – (e.g. Wick, BedBox, Fly Tot, 1st Class Kid Travel Pillow, Plane Pal). (Inflight bed/legrest extensions that are attached to the seat (e.g. Fly LegsUp or FlyeBaby) are not permitted.
• LATAM
• Malaysia Airlines -(I verified with a current Malaysia Airlines crew member in Jan 2025 that Planepal was allowed.)
• Qantas Since August 2026, Qantas allow inflatable cubes – but they must not be self inflating. They must be able to Inflates manually – cubes with a battery powered pump or self-inflating battery-operated cubes can’t be used onboard. There must be a quick-release valve or another way to release air quickly if needed.
• Singapore Airlines – Note: Fasten the seatbelt at ALL times when using.
• Swiss: Some are allowed as long as they don’t attach to the seat. Devices for extending the seat cushion to create a flat space for small children may be used on seats next to a window or on middle seats in a block of seats between two aisles.
• They may not be used on aisle seats, in the row of seats behind a bulkhead, or on emergency exit seats.
• Virgin Atlantic – allow JetKids by Stokke BedBox (can only be used in middle or window seats (not in aisles). and Planepal and Flyaway brands only. Note: Fasten the seatbelt at ALL times when using.
• Virgin Australia
• WestJet – Say on socials they are permitted as long as they don’t attach to the seat.

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Position of Sleep Aids For Toddlers

RULES FOR USING AN INFLIGHT SLEEP DEVICE

Rules vary very slightly between the airlines that do allow an airplane kids sleeping pillow, but as a guidance here are the typical rules:

• Inflatable inflight beds may only be used at the window seats or the middle seat between the aisles.

• The childs head must be toward the back of their own seat.

• Your child must also be able to fasten the seatbelt under his or her arm when using the inflight bed.

•  If your child is under two years of age, he or she must be removed from the convertible inflight bed, and secured with an infant seatbelt whenever the seatbelt sign is switched on.

• The item must not interfere with the comfort of another passenger

• It must not be attached to any part of the aircraft.

4) Bring a familiar toy or comforter if they have.

5) Consider purchasing a seat for your toddler and using an airline approved car seat. A familiar car seat can help them settle.

Airline rules do vary on the use of a car seat, with some not permitting rear facing. Always check with your airline first if you are intending on purchasing a seat for a child and using a car seat.

6) With no bassinet for a toddler over 2, consider bringing an extra blanket or using the onboard one to make a canopy over the seat in front of you– slotting it into the headrest.

This obviously only works if you are not in a bassinet bulkhead position, but means again they are shielded from the cabin lights. This is one of our go to tips and both girls slept nearly 10 hours on a recent flight back from Thailand!

7) Consider buying a Travel Snug. These fleecy blankets provide some cushioning over the hard armrests and almost ‘cuddle” the child to sleep. They are a bit bulky to lug around but we wouldn’t be without them now they are a bit older. We’ve also used them on really hard and uncomfortable car seats from abroad. Full review on the Travel Snug is here.

8) Seat to Sleep Travel Nest Inflatable cushion is another new product to help kids sleep on a plane. Read my full review by clicking the link.

7) Bring extra snacks– full tummies and food like bananas help with sleep.

I hope these tips help your toddler sleep on a plane! Do let me know what works for you below.

Other Flying With A Toddler Tips

For more useful flying with a toddler tips see my helpful post here.

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