Christmas Sleep Tips For Your Excited Children
There’s no denying that Christmas is an exciting time for children and all that excitement can lead to their sleep becoming disturbed.
It might be that you don’t see it coming then suddenly, your a child who previously slept 7pm-7am without a peep, is now battling bedtime and waking at 5am every morning!
So to help you enjoy this time of year without paying the price in disturbed sleep, here are my top tips:
Try to maintain a sense of calm in the lead up to Christmas
Whether your child is at school or preschool or hanging out with you all day, there is a heightened level of ‘busyness’ all around us. With carol concerts, festive activities, family to visit, shopping to do and the general vibe we mothers give off- this all contributes to our children’s tiredness. Sometimes you just have to say no to an event if it’s too late for your child.
Avoid allowing bedtime to creep later
When we have all these things going on and the evenings are dark so early, it’s easy to lose track of time. It only takes one or two late nights to throw a child’s sleep off for a week or more. Keep an eye on the time and stick to your bedtime routine.
Don’t bend the rules
If you’re not used to sleep disturbances these days and you find yourself with a visitor in the night or early morning, don’t take the lazy option of letting him in your bed if this is not usually allowed. Stick to your usual rules because it will rapidly become a new habit and will perpetuate the tiredness.
Fill up the sleep tank
Remember, it is usually over tiredness that is behind these sleep challenges. Late bedtimes, very busy days, lots of activities and little down time – all contribute to over tiredness. This pushes them into a second wind with difficulty settling at bedtime, disturbed night sleep and/or early wakings!
Catch up naps can be a handy backup and consistent bedtimes or even early nights will help too.
Christmas Eve calm
We can all be big kids at Christmas but too much hype might unsettle your child. You can still enjoy the excitement without overwhelming or exhausting your little one. Have some wind down time for an hour before bedtime rather than expect them to go from full blown excitement to settling to sleep. This is especially important on Christmas Eve.
You’ll have a better spirited child on your hands on Christmas Day if he’s well rested!
Most importantly of all, enjoy time with your little ones. It’s so easy to get caught up in the catering and hosting and making sure everything is just right. What they want most is your presence (and your presents)! Be sure to take the time to soak up the joy on their little faces and the memories you’re making.
Christmas blessings,
The Sleep Nanny.
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