Handle Sleep Like a Pro During the Holidays!

The holidays are always exciting, especially when you get to enjoy them with a baby or toddler! Between the travel, excitement, constant attention and then traveling all over again, its all too easy to throw all of you hard work out with the wrapping paper and turkey bones.

A sleepy baby means a grumpy baby and as parents, you probably won't be enjoying the festivities for long.

There are two major "challenges" to your little one's sleep over the holidays. One is travel itself, the other is dealing with family and friends - so lets tackle both of these topics individually.

First, travel.

Taking a trip typically won't help your little one sleep better, but if you can maintain some semblance of normalcy until the end of your trip, you and your baby will be ready to get back to normal as soon as you get back home.

If you are flying, I suggest (and this might be the only time you'll read this on my blog) that you do whatever it takes to get through the flight with a minimum amount of fuss and stress. Meaning, hand out snacks, pack new toys for the flight, let them play with your phone... The truth is, if they don't want to sleep on the plane, they're not going to. Trying to force sleep will only result in a lot of frustration for both of you (and most likely, the passengers around you)!

Second, family and friends.

Everyone wants baby awake so that they can see him, play with him, take a million pictures, and get them (ridiculously) stimulated. It's very difficult to tell them that you're putting an end to the fun because baby needs to get to sleep.

So, if you need permission/validation to be the "bad gal/guy", I'm giving it to you. Don't negotiate, don't make exceptions, and don't feel bad about it. Firmly explain that you'll let them know when baby will be getting up and tell them to hang around, come back, or better yet tell them in advance when to expect some baby time based on baby's schedule.

No one is perfect 100% of the time, and the 80/20 rule can apply to your baby's sleep schedule. Consistently stick to your plan/schedule 80% of the time while allowing 20% of the time for the unexpected. It may mean that you'll miss a nap on a special day or get a shorter, earlier nap to make up for a late event.

As long as you are maintaining your baby's schedule 80% of the time, those small (one time off) changes won't have too much of an impact on their overall sleep hygiene and habits.

After the holidays are over, be sure to readjust back to your child's normal sleep routine. It is likely that bedtime has shifted a bit later or you've gotten out of the habit of part of your bedtime routine. Slowly reintroduce the old bedtime routine, and soon, everyone will be back to their normal, restful sleep schedule!

Happy Holidays and sleep well!