72 Hours in Dubai + Jet Lag Travel Tips

Our first stop on our 5 week trip was a 72-hour stay in Dubai. We made sure to pack in plenty of fun during that short time, including visits to some favorite restaurants, dinners with friends, a trip to our favorite beach, and two photo shoots!

Our little bubba decided 4:30am was an appropriate wake up time, and after several unsuccessful attempts to convince him to go back to sleep, we decided to start our day. We arrived at Al Reef Bakery just as the sun began to rise and indulged in some glorious cheese bread. Then we drove to our favorite little beach to splash in the shallows and search for the perfect seashells. While we would have preferred a bit more sleep this morning, it was wonderfully nostalgic to start our adventure this way. I am amazed how each trip back to Dubai feels like a homecoming.Al Reef, your cheese bread makes the jet lag worth it. Seriously. Thank you!As Dubai is constantly evolving, we were thrilled to find that our favorite beach still existed. It took us a little while to find it this trip, given the ever-changing roadways and landmarks, but the minute our toes sunk into the sand it felt like we were wrapped in a warm familiar hug.The shore was covered in a countless tiny shells and Isla went crazy collecting. At one point she looked up at me and exclaimed, “This is the best day of my life!”Jet-lagged mumblings from Cole’s crib at 2:00am this morning: “Poo poo… potty… thpppt… toot!”

The next morning we woke up at 4:00am to him singing “We Will Rock You.” I kid you not.Cole was eager to help Isla collect shells as well… and only tried to eat about half of them. Oi! When will this “put everything in my mouth” phase end???

Cole’s first dip in the Persian Gulf. This is the very same beach we came to right after we found out we were pregnant with Cole!“Air pane!”How Cole impresses the families we photograph… both fingers, both nostrils. (face palm)Isla was in absolute heaven playing on the sand dunes at Al Qudra lakes during our evening photo session. Cole rode around in the ergo for the first half hour and then played in the sand with some toys for the remainder of the evening. As soon as we returned home from this session, we packed our bags in preparation for an early flight to Lusaka, Zambia!

We experienced more jet lag with Cole this trip than we ever have in the past, but got through it relatively easily, so we thought we’d share a few things we’ve learned about overcoming jet lag from our years of travel.

A few of our favorite tips for overcoming jet lag:

• Book flights that have you arriving to your destination in the afternoon/evening if at all possible. The exhaustion of long-distance travel usually helps you to fall asleep within a few hours, and if you are arriving close to bed time it helps you get on schedule
• Bring familiar home comforts for your kids’ travel beds, like blankets and stuffed animals. It’s also a good idea to have them practice sleeping in their travel beds at home before your trip.
• Stick to your exact bedtime routine when you travel. For us that means using white noise, reading 3 stories before bed, giving Cole a bottle while we read, singing a thankfulness song, and giving hugs and kisses. We make sure Cole has his stuffed bear in his bed and that Isla has her stuffed animal with her and water bottle next to her bed.
• Drink lots of water and eat a big meal before bed. A full tummy helps with sleepiness.
• Arm yourself with a boat load of patience! It is VERY likely your kiddos will wake up throughout the night, so being consistent with your sleeping routines for getting them back to bed is critical. If you are traveling with your spouse, take turns assisting the kids when they wake up to help you both get as much rest as possible. Make sure to THANK one another too. Sleep deprivation leads to crankiness, and showing a little appreciation goes a long way to keeping you happy and united.
• Don’t nap more than 2 hours during the day as you are getting adjusted to the new time zone. Set alarms! (Notice the “s”)
• Make plans that require you to be up and participating in activities during the day (walk, park, swimming, etc.) This is critical! Being outdoors is especially helpful, as exposure to the daylight and fresh air helps your body adjust to the time.

We had the thought, after dealing with Cole’s jet lag, that perhaps we should have brought Melatonin. Has anyone had good luck using this when traveling? Any other fantastic travel tips for getting over jet lag? We’d love to hear your ideas!