The festive season brings magic and excitement for families, but it can also pose a significant challenge to children's sleep routines. With travel, gatherings, and heightened emotions, maintaining restful nights can feel impossible. However, sleep consultants Gem and Eve from Calm & Bright Sleep Support, working with Mamas & Papas, have offered exclusive advice to help parents navigate this period.
Creating a Sense of Home Away From Home
Familiarity is key for babies and young children, particularly in new environments. If you're staying elsewhere over Christmas, experts advise replicating the home sleep space as closely as possible. This means using a known travel cot, favourite bedding, and regular sleepwear suited to the temperature.
Items like a cherished comforter or a familiar sleeping bag can act as powerful sleep cues, offering comfort and security. Maintaining a consistent wind-down routine also provides immense reassurance. Products such as the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 travel system, with its overnight-sleep-approved carrycot, are highlighted for helping bring that essential familiar environment wherever you go.
Embracing Flexibility and Trusting Your Instincts
One of the most valuable, yet difficult, festive strategies is to relax rigid routines. Early wake-ups, contact naps, and later bedtimes are all normal when staying with family. Gem and Eve stress that a week of altered schedules will not undo months of good sleep habits. They recommend going with the flow and embracing naps as they happen.
Planning travel to include a grace period for settling in is also crucial. Consider arriving a day early to help your baby adjust before the main festivities. For comfortable travel, the Maxi Cosi Pebble 360 Car Seat is suggested for easy transfer if your child falls asleep en route.
Mastering the Wind-Down and Encouraging Calm
Amid the Christmas Day frenzy, it's vital to block out dedicated, unrushed time for the bedtime routine. This slow wind-down helps signal to your child that it's time to rest and provides a precious quiet moment for parents too. Offering your full attention during this period is key.
Nutrition can also play a soporific role. From the evening meal, incorporating sleep-friendly foods for toddlers like bananas, turkey, sweet potatoes, or oatmeal may encourage a more restful night. Creating pockets of calm through quiet play or a puzzle before bed helps regulate big feelings, with connection being a powerful tool for sleep readiness.
Finally, the experts advise parents to trust their own judgement. Well-meaning relatives often offer unsolicited advice, but it's okay to politely affirm your family's approach. Remember to plan moments of calm for yourself, even if it's just five minutes with a cup of tea while someone else watches the little one. The festive period is about joy and connection; with patience and these strategies, peaceful nights can be part of the celebration.
