Enjoying the Holidays while Keeping the Family Rested (Yes, you can do both!)

It’s normal and often inevitable to see some disruption to sleep over the holiday season.

No matter how hard you’ve worked to establish a predictable routine with your child’s sleep, the holidays simply tend to bring disruption! 

How much disruption often depends on your child, and also each individual family’s parenting styles. Some children are more adaptable than others, adjusting back to their normal routine much easier, while others are much more sensitive to changes. Some parents strive to keep the normal routine intact no matter what and others decide that certain events warrant veering from normal, even if that means there may be a price to pay in terms of sleep. 

Below are some of the biggest disruptors towards sleep during the holidays and some ways to be prepared to handle them. A little planning can go a long way in helping your family stay rested over the holidays!

Overscheduling

‘Tis the season for Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and many gatherings. The holiday season can be a conflicting time for parents, trying to balance the fun with our children’s need for sleep. I know it is something I struggle with, as I live in constant FOMO! This is one of those areas, where sometimes you just have to say ‘No’ to an event and pick & prioritize the Christmas events you DO want to go to and possibly sacrifice sleep for. Other ways to combat overscheduling include embracing the idea of using your babysitter more this month, or deciding to send a parent solo to a function instead of the entire family. 

Skipping Naps & Later Bedtimes 

Some naps on the go and the occasional late bedtime can simply be unavoidable over the holidays. This is where I recommend prioritizing the 80/20 rule. If a nap was short/skipped due to an event, it’s best to try to be home for an earlier bedtime that day. If a late bedtime is in the works with your baby, I’d recommend either bringing the ideal sleep environment to the party (blackout shade or SlumberPod - use code RESTGROWTHRIVE20 for $20 off, your sound machine, and any loveys) and putting your baby down there or trying to be home within 30 minutes of their usual bedtime. If you have a preschooler, bring their pajamas so you can change them at the party and rush them to bed when you get home, shortening your routine that night. And, talk to them about the plan in advance! “We are headed to a Christmas party tonight and will have so much fun. It’s going to be dark when we leave so we’ll put your pajamas on at the party and when we come home, we’ll go straight to bed.”

Losing Consistency 

When we start to do all the things at Christmastime, it’s easy to fall into the habit of rushing through the bedtime routine because of those later events. But, children really thrive on maintaining those consistent routines, not to mention - connecting with you at the end of a busy day is important for them. Shortening or skipping the bedtime routine from time to time is ok, but as much as possible, try to do your full bedtime routine, it almost always leads to a smoother bedtime. It can also help to avoid more than 1-2 days of craziness in a row, especially with babies and small children. 

Sleeping in Unfamiliar Spaces

During the Christmas season, when you are off to the grandparents or other family’s homes, your child may spend multiple days sleeping in an environment that is not their familiar home or room. Do what you can to recreate your home environment as much as possible for them. Bring the blackout shades (the SlumberPod is excellent for travel cribs), white noise machine, sleep sack, favorite stuffed animal on the road with you! I also recommend grabbing a few of your child’s favorite books to be able to recreate the bedtime routine as much as possible. These things will help your child feel more comfortable in this new space. 

Sugar Highs

‘Tis the season of Christmas cookies and treats galore! While it’s a fun time and some flexibility is needed, I recommend trying to avoid too many sugary treats in the couple of hours before bedtime, to help your child settle into sleep easier. 

Caving to Family Pressure

Yes, your family is excited to see your child(ren)! Perhaps it has been a while since you’ve all been together (hello, Covid-world we are living in) and you’ll start feeling pressure to keep your baby or toddler awake in order for the extended family to get more time with them. However, what fun is an overtired and crabby baby or toddler anyway? I’m giving you full permission to stand up to your family in order for your child to get the rest they need. You can let your family members know your child’s sleep situation in advance and that you’ll stick to it so that they can enjoy your little one in their rested and happy state even more! Bring humor into the situation (“I know I’m being that mom right now, but little Sally will really turn into a bear if she doesn’t get down for her nap at noon, so we’ll see her again in an hour or so all giggly and rested again!”)

Returning To Normal after the Holidays: 

If things really got off-kilter, it can really help to pencil in a few down days after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, days that you can really focus on prioritizing sleep again and getting back on track. Naps at normal time, bedtime at normal time, and settling back into those full pre-sleep routines every sleep period. 

The more rested you start, the less of a disaster Holiday sleep can become.

In my experience, well-rested children handle disruption and changes to their sleep patterns and environments much better than those that aren’t sleeping well to begin with. Children that are already sleeping well at home return back to their ‘normal’ much easier and quicker. If you just made changes to your child’s sleep situation and only recently have a child sleeping independently and sleeping well, it’s typically best to try to maintain your ‘normal’ as much as possible even during the holidays, to keep those new skills intact! Either way, it’s normal to see a little backsliding during the holidays. My best piece of advice when extra comfort is needed whether due to sickness, travel, or holiday disruption, is to avoid bringing back the main habit you were transitioning away from (for example: if you were previously nursing to sleep, use other soothing behaviors like rocking & patting instead; if your child was climbing into bed with you, perhaps you sit with them in their room instead of them climbing in with you.)

I hope you were able to find some helpful takeaways to keep sleep in place for your family. Are you the type of parent that wants to hold the structure during the holidays or are you more willing to sacrifice sleep for fun? Let me know in the comments!

Have a wonderful holiday season!