Thanks for this. I have never wanted to use Benadryl for the plane, but it is great to have this all articulated so clearly. I can think of a lot of parents who would love to read this. I think it is cruel to expect a young toddler to sit respectfully for 5 plus hours on a long flight with no room to move around, be loud, play, etc. My brother is military. They were stationed overseas three years ago. If you don't think your kids are ready for a plane flight, then unless the trip is truly necessary, you might delay it for a year or two. Benadryl may not be the right solution. Using Benadryl for Travel with a Toddler: A Cautionary Tale and a Little Science. by Alice Callahan on June 28, 2012 I have a parenting confession to make. Husband and I dosed BabyC with Benadryl during a flight last week. In my last post, I wrote about what we got right on our trip. Now it’s time to come clean and tell you what we may have gotten wrong. Before you jump to judgment, let me. Be sure that all of your child's caregivers—including daycare, babysitter, and grandparents—know that it is never okay to give a child Benadryl to help them sleep, and it should never be given to a child under 2 years old, period. Benadryl often sedates for 4-6 hours, so be aware you may be carrying your groggy child off the plane and plan accordingly. If they sleep (due to Benadryl) during a normal awake period it may affect their regular sleep schedule, so while you are ready to “crash” at your destination, your child may be wide awake. I am flying alone with my very active/mobile 13 month old boy on Tuesday. Everyone says I should give him Benadryl to calm him down and make him sleepy during the flight. Travel expert Laura Sutherland says if the airplane bathroom doesn't have a changing table, you've got two options: using the c. Tips for traveling with babies and toddlers Practical tips for making travel time with your baby or toddler as relaxing and stress-free as possible. Although fatigue or tiredness is a common side effect of Benadryl, it should not be used in a toddler to help them sleep on an airplane. But he doesn't rule it out altogether. He says if you. This time, he was a fully mobile and highly opinionated toddler who, as my mother would say, is very, very hyper. Upon boarding the plane, my son proceeded to wreak havoc (screaming at the top.