by Emily Whalley, Child Sleep Consultant, at Fox and the Moon Infant Sleep Services
Christmas is almost upon us, again! Whether you are be planning a quiet one at home or be busy visiting family you may be wondering how you can limit impact on your little one’s sleep over the festive period, and let’s face it, we have enough to be thinking about at this time of year!
A lot of parents are driven by routine and keeping order to the day, others are happier going with the flow, it can be hard to jump from both mindsets if that isn’t how you normally parent, hopefully the below tips will help you feel prepared, no matter what your Christmas looks like!
Routine
The holiday season often disrupts regular routines, and you won’t “break” your baby or their sleep when this happens! It is important that you enjoy the festivities too!
One thing I would suggest is to try to keep bedtime and wake-up times as consistent as possible, even with occasional late nights. Having a set wake up time in the morning is useful for your little one’s circadian rhythm (body clock) and means naps and therefore bedtimes fall at a similar time each day. If you are planning a later night than usual, pop in an extra nap and make bedtime later!
Regarding bedtime routine, especially if you are going away, taking things that are already a part of your routine like a sound machine (Rockit’s Wooshh is a great option because it is so portable), familiar books, black out blinds, a bedsheet or sleep sac that is familiar to your child will help.
Remember that a consistent bedtime routine doesn’t have to mean doing bedtime at the exact time each night but try and keep to the order of which you help your little one wind down. This can help them feel safe and secure no matter where you are. Having a familiar bedtime routine, even if modified slightly, can help children wind down.
Outdoor Time
Daylight exposure and physical activity are great for supporting natural sleep patterns, so spending time outdoors during the day can help balance the extra stimulation of the season. Just prioritising an hour or so of burning off some energy and getting some fresh air can be really useful! If in doubt, outdoor time!
Communicate With Family
Talking to family members about your child’s routine and any boundaries around bedtime can help avoid extended visits or late-night activities that could impact sleep. Of course, you cannot expect everyone to be silent or stop having fun while you put your little one to bed, but there may be little things that can be worked around to accommodate for your little ones needs. A sound machine will help with any background noise.
If you take anything away from reading this though, let it be this. Christmas is for everyone, try and relax into the changes that will happen and do not worry about tweaking naps and bedtime for your plans to go ahead! Your child will adapt, and you can things back on track in the New Year!
If your child is normally a great sleep then it really shouldn’t change even when travelling, remember you are the most important thing when it comes to your child feeling safe and secure sleeping elsewhere, so if you are there supporting them to sleep as usual then I promise, everything will be fine!
At Fox and The Moon, we specialise in a truly gentle, holistic approach to infant sleep which means no “cry it out” and no blaming of feeding/cuddling or any other ‘ing’ word when it comes to helping your little ones fall asleep! If you need any help navigating the festive period or your child’s sleep in general, you can find out more at www.foxandthemoon.co.uk or @foxandthemoon_sleep on Instagram.
