Tips for helping my kids sleep well over the holidays
There is nothing quite like the holiday season: Christmas lights brighten up the long nights, our littles play in and wonder at freshly-fallen snow, Michael Bublé serenades us in the background, making the chaos in front of us seem rather peaceful at times … the holidays can help us take pause and be present - to really appreciate the everyday magic of parenthood.
They can also cause us to make some pretty questionable decisions. I mean, everyone loves a good picture of baby wrapped up in Christmas lights, but also did I really just wrap my baby up in electrical wires and post it to social media? 😳😁 #holidaybrain
Questionable choices aside, the rhythm of life shifts to a bit of a different beat during the holidays. We tend to stay up later, gather more, and bring in all the lights, colours, and fanfare to help us especially enjoy the season.
What does this mean for our littles? They have some pretty special memories put together by parents who love them. Secondly, there are ample opportunities for overstimulation and overtiredness.
Need you feel stressed and guilty? Nope. Are there ways to help your little one sleep well over the holiday season? You bet. So as we dive in to our celebrations, keep these sleep tips in mind:
Don’t change anything big. The holidays will likely already cause some change in the sleep routine. If you’re considering extending your little one’s wake windows or pulling the soother, remember that baby may become easily overstimulated this season, and the extra rest and comfort tools will come in handy.
Be preemptive with regulation. Instead of pushing your littles to the limit, work in small, frequent breaks to connect and watch for their sleep cues and overtired behaviours - read a story together in the corner of the room, go for a short walk outside, or have a little cuddle together upstairs. This will help to prevent a giant meltdown.
Extend the bedtime routine. Have some quality, calm connection time together to help your baby or toddler feel secure, attached, and give them the space to wind down with their safe person.
Mimic their sleep environment. Whether for naps or nighttime, having the same sleep sack, sound machine, and lovey will go a long way in making your little one feel comfortable and safe enough to fall asleep in a different place, whether it’s your second cousin’s spare room or in their pack and play at Grandma’s house.
Plan for a day of downtime. It’s okay to have a later bedtime for a special event, just make sure you plan for a chill day for your littles to recover afterwards. Keep it as clear as possible and get back to the schedule.
And if you are traveling over the holidays, be sure to purchase our crazy-affordable Travel Guide. We’ll help you put together your sleep-friendly packing list, walk you through how to set up your little one for success with sleep, help you to adjust to the time zone changes (if applicable), set up an effective sleep environment, and provide useful #travelhacks.
If sleep doesn't go as planned over the holidays, that’s okay. In fact, let’s just be completely real right now - it won’t go as planned. And that’s okay. Do your best to stick to the tips above, pour yourself a festive drink, and enjoy whatever comes. After all, what better time to be merry than Christmas?
Sleep Sweetly,
Anna