Make Holiday Travel Easier With Our Portable OtterSpace Blackout Curtains
How to protect your family’s sleep—wherever the holidays take you.
Holiday travel is exciting—but if you’re a light sleeper, traveling with kids, or trying to keep a nap schedule intact, unfamiliar rooms can make sleep a real challenge. Hotel lamps, hallway lights, streetlights, and those thin “blackout” curtains can turn what should be a peaceful night into hours of tossing and turning.
That’s exactly why OtterSpace portable blackout curtains were designed to go where you go. Our patented Blackout Curtains and Blackout Blocks™ pack easily and set up in minutes, giving you reliable darkness in hotels, guest rooms, rentals, and grandparents’ houses. Whether you’re dealing with time-zone changes, early winter sunrises, or little ones who need a consistent sleep environment, having a dependable blackout setup can make all the difference during the busy holiday season.
Why a Dark Room Matters So Much on Holiday Trips
Light is one of the biggest signals to your body’s internal clock. A bright room at bedtime or sunrise streaming in at 5:30 a.m. can make it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get the full, restful night you need to actually enjoy your trip.
By turning almost any room into a truly dark sleep space, OtterSpace blackout curtains help:
- Kids nap better in unfamiliar places
- Parents fall asleep faster and wake less overnight
- Everyone adjust more easily to time-zone changes
- Shift workers or light-sensitive sleepers get deep, uninterrupted rest
5 Sleep-Saving Tips to Keep Routines on Track During Holiday Travel
1. Make the Room Dark (OtterSpace to the Rescue)
Before the first bedtime in a new place, take five minutes to “sleep-proof” the room:
- Hang your OtterSpace blackout curtains using the adhesive plates around the window.
- Use Blackout Blocks™ to seal out any extra slivers of light.
- Turn off or cover bright LEDs from clocks, TV screens, or chargers.
Once the room is dark, it immediately feels calmer, cozier, and more sleep-friendly—for both you and your kids.
2. Bring a Sound Machine (We Love YogaSleep)
Holiday travel often means unfamiliar noises: people in the hallway, cousins still playing, traffic outside, or TVs in the next room. A portable sound machine helps drown out that background noise so sleep doesn’t get interrupted every time something bumps or beeps.
Pair your darkened room with a YogaSleep® sound machine for a consistent, soothing sound environment that travels with you. Use the same sound you use at home so kids instantly recognize it as a sleep cue.
3. Keep Bedtime Routines Familiar (Even If the Schedule Slides)
You don’t have to keep the clock exactly the same to protect sleep—you just want the routine to feel familiar.
Try to stick with the same sequence you use at home:
- Bath or quick wipe-down
- Brush teeth / fresh diaper
- Cozy PJs and sleep sack
- Story, snuggles, and lights out
Even if bedtime is later than usual, this predictable flow helps little bodies and brains wind down and understand that it’s time to sleep.
4. Recreate Their Sleep Space With a Few “Home” Items
Familiar comfort items can make a strange room feel safe. Pack a small “sleep kit” for each child that might include:
- Their usual lovey or stuffed animal
- The same sleep sack or blanket they use at home
- A favorite bedtime book or two
- Any must-have pacifiers or comfort items (plus backups)
Combine these with your OtterSpace blackout curtains and sound machine, and you’ve essentially recreated their bedroom—just in a new place.
5. Plan for Early Mornings (and Give Yourself Grace)
Even with the best setup, holiday travel can mean slightly earlier mornings or occasional sleep disruptions, and that’s okay. Use your blackout curtains to stretch sleep as much as possible, but also:
- Build in a little downtime for kids (and you) during the day
- Prioritize at least one “early to bed” night on longer trips
- Lower the bar for perfection—rested enough is a win on busy holidays
A dark, quiet room plus a flexible mindset is your best recipe for surviving (and enjoying) holiday travel.
Travel-Friendly Blackout Curtains You’ll Use All Year
While this guide focuses on holiday trips, your OtterSpace blackout curtains won’t stay in the closet once the season ends. They’re perfect for:
- Summer vacations and long weekends away
- Grandparent visits and sleepovers
- Naps in bright rooms at home
- Shift work or anyone who needs to sleep during the day
Wherever you’re headed next, you can pack a little bit of home with you: darkness on demand, a calm sleep environment, and a family that’s rested enough to actually enjoy the trip.
Ready to make your next holiday trip easier? Shop OtterSpace portable blackout curtains and build your go-to travel sleep kit today.