There are now a myriad of products on the market offering an inflight sleep solution; some with either an airplane seat extender which extends a mattress from the footwell to the seat; inflates into the footwell to fill in the gap or acts as a larger comfy but portable pillow. Flyaway and PlanePal side by side. The inventors have designed in flexibility by allowing you to use it in three ways: lengthways in line with the seat ideal if you have the extra space at the bulkhead bassinet position), widthways across the seat base, or upside down. That’s because the Plane Pal is T-shaped and wider at the top than the bottom, so if you’re struggling to squeeze it in behind the seat in front, just flip it on its head. It takes just over two minutes to inflate using a hand pump, which comes in the Plane Pal carry case along with the mattress. There are several things you can do to combat flat head syndrome in any situation. Whether they’re sleeping, traveling, or enjoying playtime, you can ensure your baby isn’t in one position for too long. During Sleep

Below are a couple of travel products which seem to be permitted on most airlines as they are effectively a larger version of a travel pillow. There may, however, be restrictions on their use; for example on take off and during landing. Travel Snug Travel Snug Travel Pillow For Planes I spent hours researching to find the best infant pillows for flat head syndrome and came up with this list of five excellent options. Craniosynostosis: This is when a baby’s skull forms too soon. This may require surgical intervention, so consult your pediatrician if you suspect it. These inflight comfort devices or seat extenders, (also known as “inflatable foot rests”, “inflatable travel mattresses”, “convertible in-flight beds” or “bed boxes” ), are an ingenious way of converting an economy seat into a comfortable flat bed for kids and cheaper than an upgrade!One of the first things I did when my child was diagnosed with plagiocephaly (another name for flat head syndrome) was to look for products to prevent the condition from worsening. Turkish Airlines – Confirmed directly with safety team that they do not allow any inflatable devices) Inflatable inflight bedsmay only be used at the window seats or the middle seat between the aisles.

Skull-molding while still in the womb: This can happen when there isn’t a lot of amniotic fluid to cushion the baby’s head while they’re still in utero. This usually resolves on its own. The Travel Snug children’s travel pillow and blanket encompasses a child with a fleecy material. This pads out the seat a bit more and makes the arm rest a comfortable place to rest a weary head. While the description shows that you can use this pillow in the car seat, it’s unsafe to use any additional cushioning in a car seat. Restrict the use of your infant pillow to places other than your vehicle (1). Your child must also be able to fasten the seatbelt under his or her arm when using the inflight bed. The Jetkids Stokke Bedbox is the only one I haven’t tried but I have friends who have. It not only converts an economy seat into an inflight bed, but also acts as ride on suitcase with some extra storage space inside. (It also houses the mattress.) With the straps you can pull a 3 year old along around the airport or offer them somewhere clean to sit whilst in a queue.Does your baby’s head look more flat than round? Don’t panic. This is far more common than most parents think, and there are things you can do to help. I’ve flown many times with my now 1 and 4 year old and have always been exasperated by the small pillow in economy, which always falls through the armrest and ends up in the aisle at least ten times. I was given the opportunity to trial a Travel Snug recently, which solves this issue and more.

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. While your baby is playing, try to have them play on their tummy as much as possible. Not only will this help strengthen various muscles, but it will also keep plagiocephaly at bay.This circular infant pillow is great if you’re looking for versatility. Most designs are only meant for when a baby is lying on the ground, but this pillow can be used in a variety of places. All airlines that permit the use of the BedBox, PlanePal, FlyAway et al, do have certain requirements about their use, and where they can be used. For example, they must not be used on an aisle seat. Other rules include: (but are not limited too) RULES FOR USING AN INFLIGHT SLEEP DEVICE Available in two sizes for kids, the Small size for kids ages 3-7 Y/O and the Medium size for kids ages 8-12 Y/O.

Premature birth: With less time to develop fully, premature babies often have differently shaped heads. They take little time to set up, are relatively light and don’t take up much space: all attractive qualities for parents traveling with kids. What child seat extenders are available and which are the best? JetKids bedBox by Stokke This pillow also advertises its use in the crib, but you should always keep pillows, blankets, and other items out of the crib until your child is a toddler (2). The following toddler travel pillows are slightly smaller and narrower for little ones to use whilst travelling.If possible, you can also move the light source to different areas in their bedroom, as babies are typically attracted to light. When they’re sleeping, take care to shift your baby’s head into different positions to alleviate the flattened side as well. During Play Of course, some babies just aren’t fans of tummy time, and we can’t leave them on their tummies forever. In this case, you can shift their head position so they aren’t favoring one side for too long. Getting your child to have a decent sleep on a long haul flight, is the dream of many parents, including my own! It also comes with a fleecy blanket; both come in a variety of colours and patterns. As an added bonus it can act a bit of a booster seat- handy for little ones who can’t quite reach the tray table. It’s recommended for use when lying down to play, in a bouncer or other baby seat, in the stroller, and while nursing. As parents, we’re all about versatility, and this pillow fits the bill.