The festivities are fun and full of travelling, days out and lots of different foods, sights and people we don't see very often. While this is a time of enjoyment, it can cause anxiety for parents of those who don't sleep well and can cause little one's who usually sleep great to have the occasional not so great night. So what can you do to help?
If you are able, try and keep to your routine as much as you can, this will help keep your little ones sleep rhythm and give them the chance of at better nights sleep. Don't be afraid to embrace naps in the car and leave for your destination around their nap time if you have a day of travelling. Naps in the pram can be great too if you're out and about with family or friends. Although it can seem difficult to navigate a routine during this time, children do really thrive on predictability. Christmas often comes with lots of yummy food, especially sweeties and chocolate! If they're tiny and new to most foods, I'd advise not trying something new if you're unsure how their tummy will react and you're looking forward to a restful night that night. Sweeties and chocolate are fine in moderation but don't let them indulge too much or too close to nap or bed time and their sugar high, and subsequent sugar crash, will interfere with sleep. If you're sleeping away for a night or a few over Christmas, make sure you read my instagram post on sleeping away from home which gives lots of advice on how to make their stay away from home as comfortable and familiar as possible - https://www.instagram.com/p/CgSQiA6I_HC/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D People LOVE to comment on other peoples parenting and ask how their baby or child sleeps. Don't be afraid to simply state that you'd rather not talk about their sleep if it is something you dob't wish to discuss. Perhaps answer that you'd rather discuss what your child does when their awake as it is much more interesting, tell them instead about a new developmental milestone your child has reached since you last saw them and deflect the subject that way.
Over stimulation is the final thing that can cause little ones to have less restful nights and often the younger they are the more this can affect them. Lots of people, especially new people, noise, new places, having the TV on etc can all provide lots of stimulation they are otherwise not used to. Make sure before any nap or bed times you have a nice quiet wind down time to bring them back down to a calm level. Play some calm music, have a nice story in a dimly lit room etc and try to do this when you can for at least 30 minutes before sleep (naps and bed time!) Remember Christmas is only a few days and if everything goes out of the window, just revert to your usual routine when you can
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