Top Sleep Tips
For Surviving The Holiday Season!
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By Our Sleep Expert Katie Kovaleski
Winter is rapidly approaching and marks the beginning of the Holiday season. Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on how to minimize the impacts of travel, parties and other fun Holiday adventures on your child’s sleep hygiene. Today, we will be talking about how to maximize the fun while minimizing sleep disturbances.
Protecting The Sleep Schedule
1. Make sure that naps occur at their regular time and even for children who do not formally nap, make sure to give them a “rest hour” the day of the Holiday celebration. This will help them unwind a bit and rest during the day, which will help avoid the overtired state at night.
2. Try to do the best you can to keep bedtime at a reasonable hour. Be prepared that a later bedtime might cause an early wakeup and night wakings for the next few days.
3. Offer an early bedtime for a few days following the Holiday celebration if you sense your child is overtired. Continue to offer a “rest hour” to the non-napping children if possible.
4. Beware the “second wind.” This is the biggest indicator that your child is overtired. Refer to the above tips to help alleviate this overtired state.
Plan Ahead
5. Have pj’s and anything you may need for your wind down, soothing routine ready to go before you head out for family fun.
6. Talk to your kids about what to expect; i.e.
After going Holiday shopping and wrapping gifts you get “x” amount of time to excitedly look under the X-mas tree etc., once that time is up, begin your soothing routine, no arguments.
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