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Sleep Tips for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
The big day is here! All the planning, preparing, shopping and wrapping are <close to being> done and it is time to enjoy the holiday spirit with the people we love! As a new parent or a parent with little ones, it can be a little confusing to figure out how to enjoy your family traditions yet respect your kiddos need for sleep. Here are my top sleep tips for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. These tips also apply for New Year’s Eve as well!
Sleep Tips for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Schedule Tips
- Focus on quality naps on Christmas Eve so going into the festivities your little one isn’t overtired.
- For babies on 2+ naps, try to have bedtime be a max of only 30 minutes later than normal.
- For toddlers on 1 nap, they may be able to handle a 60 minute later bedtime.
Travel Tips
If you are traveling overnight:
- Set your child up in a separate room if you can. It will be easier than room sharing. Don’t shun the walk-in closet or ensuite bathroom as a good temporary nursery!
- If he/she can’t have a separate space try to have a visual barrier from where you are sleeping and where your child is sleeping. A good solution is to hang command strips with hooks from the ceiling with an old sheet or old curtains. Just ensure whatever you use is far enough away from the sleep space that it can’t be pulled into the crib or pack-n-play.
- Bring the sound machine and black out the room with black hefty trash bags and blue painter’s tape.
- Do your best to keep the sleepy time routine as consistent as possible – bring all the bath time products, sheets, lovey, etc. and follow the same routine. When everything is different in their surroundings, their bedtime routine will be predictable, relaxing and soothing. That familiarity of the routine will help with adjustment to the new space and set your child up for quality sleep that night.
- Be patient – sleep may not be supercalifragilisticexpalidocious the first few days.
Staying Local But Driving Tips
If you are staying local and driving to your loved ones, change your little one into pajamas before you leave to drive home. If it is past their bedtime, they will likely fall asleep in the car. Having them already changed into jammies will help them to transfer into the crib / bed easier without overstimulating them.
Have fun!
If you and your kiddos get caught up in the Christmas spirit and bedtime is WAY later, it’s ok! As long as you are consistent with your little one’s sleep most of the time, they should rebound fairly quickly with a consistent nap day on Christmas (if you can) and an early bedtime on Christmas night. An early bedtime in an overtired child will help your child to get back on track quickly!
Merry Christmas from the Bella Luna Sleep team to you!
Party a little too hard and need help getting back on track? Or is sleep just a total disaster in general? Reach out to schedule an intro call and we can help you get on track with healthier sleep habits!
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