Navigating Sleep During the Holiday Season
It seems impossible to believe, but November has come and gone already. In Nova Scotia, the snow has arrived and our family is getting into the Christmas spirit. For many, December involves the celebrations of special holidays, which often means travel to be with family. Whether you’re hosting family and friends in your home, or travelling to spend time with the ones you love, the holidays can be a tricky time to for kiddos. Routine is easily disrupted with time off from school, work, and daycare, holiday festivities, and all the excitement of the season. If you’re wondering how to squeeze in as much fun and family time while making sure your babe still gets the sleep they need and you all get to enjoy the holidays, keep reading!
1. Enjoy your time with family and friends
This is so very important. As parents, it’s easy to get caught up in nap schedules and bedtimes and forget how important it is to enjoy your holiday traditions as a family. Go to the dinner, attend the party, and make time for special family traditions at home. You will never regret making special memories with your family. That said, it’s much easier to enjoy the holidays when you’re not dealing with an overtired, unhappy babe- and there are lots of things you can do to make sure your little one stays well rested while having fun.
2. Adapt the nap
Depending on the age of your little one and how many naps they take in a day, it can be hard to make naps happen amidst holiday festivities. Avoiding overtiredness during the day will help with sleep at night. There are a couple of different options for dealing with naps during the holidays, depending on what works best for your family. One short nap or one missed nap isn’t the end of the world; you will most likely notice a difference for the following 24 hours, but you’ll be able to get back on track quickly. In order to clearly explain how you can make naps work during the holidays, I’ve used an example.
Imagine you’ve been invited to a family brunch starting at 10.30am and your babe usually naps from 9-11am.
Option 1
Stick to your regular nap, explain to your hosts you’ll be a little late to the brunch, and make your way there when your little one wakes from their nap at 11am.
Option 2
Wake your babe a few minutes early first thing in the morning, so you’ll be able to put them down for their nap a little early, say 8.30am. If the nap is the usual two hours in length, you can arrive at the brunch close to 10.30am.
Option 3
If the hosts are close friends or family, ask if you can arrive a little early. Bring your playpen, lovie, sleep sack, and white noise and set your babe up in a quiet dark space to have their regular nap. Offer to give a hand with the party preparations while your child sleeps. When they wake, they can join in the festivities.
Option 4
Put your little one down for their regular nap at 9am, and wake them early so you can get to the brunch on time. In this case, you may have to push their next naptime a little earlier.
3. Stick to bedtime and naptime routines
If you already have a routine in place for bedtime and naptime, you’re ahead of the game! Even though bedtime may occasionally be a little later during the holidays, and naps may be a little shorter, sticking to your regular routines will help your little one settle into sleep. Routines act as a cue to the body and the brain that sleep is coming and helps with the secretion of melatonin, which plays a huge role in getting to sleep. If you’re staying with friends or family, bring the essentials: white noise, blackout blinds (or garbage bags in a pinch), crib sheet, sleep sack/blankets from home, and your little one’s lovie. These familiar items will help your babe to feel safe and secure when they’re sleeping in a different environment.
4. Plan ahead
If you’re travelling, think about where your baby will sleep. Are you able to bring your playpen? Can you borrow a crib, playpen, or bassinet if you’re staying with family or friends? Many hotels have cribs or playpens available to guests at no charge, but they don’t have an unlimited amount, so booking in advance is essential. Is there a safe, quiet space your babe can sleep for naps and nights? Space can be limited if you’re staying at someone else’s home, or even in a hotel room, and you may have to get creative. If you don’t usually share a room, but that’s your only option, try to create some sort of division between you and your little one. A room divider, or even a sheet hung from the ceiling will work wonders. If you don’t bed-share at home (and you don’t want to start now), then don’t bed-share while travelling. Children can get attached to this situation so very quickly, and it can be challenging to go back to separate beds once you’re back home.
Sleep is a priority for our little ones, but spending time making memories and celebrating the truly important things in life is even more valuable. Give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays, no matter what that looks like for you. Whether it’s continuing age-old traditions, or making new ones with your kiddos, I hope you’re able to take a moment to truly savour the very best bits of your holiday: time with the ones you love.