The Blanket Fort we Used on Planes

For a long time, I had a system when flying with my son to help him sleep better.

I would use a blanket and tuck it into the headrest and tray table to create a little cozy space around him.

It kind of worked…but it needed constant adjusting: it would fall, he'd pull it down accidentally, the seat in front would recline and mess with it. It was always a bit of a balancing act, honestly. 

Then we had our second baby and I started to realize that whole system just wasn’t realistic anymore. I was looking at a 14-hour flight with a 3-month-old and a 3-year-old, and the thought of trying to keep both sleep setups in place, while still being able to reach them and take care of everything else, felt very daunting. 

So I started looking for something simpler. Something smaller, sturdier, something that could create that same low-stimulation space – but without all the adjusting.

I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find anything designed for airplane seats.

That’s when the idea for NapNest started to take shape. Not as a business, just as something we needed. 

Over time, as we kept traveling and refining what worked, it slowly turned into something more. And what’s been surprising is how many parents have asked about it after hearing about it or seeing it.

So right now, I’m in the early stages of figuring out whether this is something worth bringing to life more broadly.