The Christmas season comes with a lot of celebration and excitement that makes it challenging for kids to sleep on Christmas Eve. However, did you know that you can make the process easier by implementing changes a week before? So, today! To help, the sleep experts at MattressNextDay have shared eight tried and tested tips to get excited kids to sleep this Christmas.
A Week Beforehand (17th December)
1. Gradually start tweaking their bedtime TONIGHT (a week early)
- As they’re so excited, kids will always wake up early on Christmas morning, so to make sure they get sufficient sleep on the big day, you should start making a change to their bedtime a week beforehand.
- Gradually moving your child’s bedtime will be far easier than trying to do it on the night of Christmas Eve when they’re super excited.
- Starting on 17th December, move back their bedtime by 10 minutes each day. By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, your child will sleep for about 60 minutes earlier (or 70 mins if you’ve had a successful roll-out every day).
- This will also give you an extra hour to get a head-start on any Christmas Day preparations or some much-needed time.
On Christmas Eve
2. Tire them out with an outdoor activity in the afternoon
- Firstly, being outside will increase your child’s vitamin D intake, which can boost their serotonin and stop them from feeling so sleepy – eliminating the need for an afternoon nap, which will only cause trouble on the night.
- It’s also proven to help them sleep better at night as the more they move throughout the day, the more they’ll be tired out at night-time and likely to sleep through.
- Just make sure to wrap your child up in some appropriate outdoor wear so they’re not too cold and can play.
3. Give them the right food before bed to bring on a feeling of sleepiness
- What your child eats close to bedtime can also contribute to whether they have a good or bad night’s sleep.
- Foods such as oat biscuits, bananas, and milk contain an amino acid called tryptophan, making them feel drowsy and, therefore, more likely to fall asleep.
4. Keep the festive films for Christmas Eve morning or the early afternoon, so their sleep is not impacted
- While it may seem reasonable to put a Christmas film on for your child before they go to sleep, the light emitted from the TV or a tablet can trick their mind into thinking that it’s daytime, keeping them awake for longer.
- You should, therefore, keep Christmas films for the morning or early afternoon of Christmas Eve and keep them away from any electronic devices at least two to three hours before bedtime.
- But your child still deserves to have their Christmas excitement validated, so instead, you could play festive-related games or play Christmas music.
5. Bath your child but then head to the bedroom afterward to signal their brain that its bedtime
- Few activities can be as soothing as taking a bath—and that’s especially true for children. After coming out of a warm bath, their body temperature starts to cool, which can help them fall asleep more easily.
- After their bath, you should go straight from the bathroom into the bedroom, with dim lights. Light is the most important external factor affecting sleep. It plays a central role in regulating our body’s internal clock, otherwise known as our circadian rhythm. This signals when to be alert and when to rest.
- Therefore, we recommend closing the curtains before they go to bed and that if they have any night lights, they are dimmed to signal to their brain that it’s bedtime.
6. Once they’re asleep, sneak into their bedroom with their stockings to help you have a lie-in
- This gives them something to open as soon as they wake up in the morning and allows you to have some more time on Christmas Day morning. This could even give you a slight lie-in, even if it’s ten minutes, as they play with their presents.
On Christmas Day morning
7. Only open their curtains once you want them to get up
- While shutting out light at the right time is essential, letting light in at the right time.
- Only open their curtains and blinds once you want them to get out of bed. This signals their brain to stop producing the sleep hormone melatonin, making them feel groggy and grumpy.
8. Don’t forget to praise your child for their good bedtime behavior
- Praising your child can help improve their self-esteem, intrinsic motivation, and perseverance. So, if your child has had a successful night of sleeping where rules were followed.
- When giving praise, make sure to be specific and descriptive as the less generic of the encouragement, the more memorable it is and, therefore, likely to be done again.
A family unit works better when parents and children communicate well. Here are some benefits of helping your kids develop morning and night routines.
