Going away for Christmas? Planning a family vacay for the holidays? Don’t stress, it can be worrying to take your child out of their routine – what effect will that have? Will he/she forget how to sleep? It’s ok Mama, this is totally doable! Fun even!
Here are 3 helpful tips from our sleep experts who are on hand for all your other sleep questions. We want to make sure baby (and YOU!) get enough sleep during the holidays.
1. Maintain your bedtime routine
You might not be able to control the exact time that a nap or bedtime occurs during the holidays, but you can still maintain their routine. Sticking to your regular bedtime rhythm will be comforting to your child and help them know what to expect, even if they’re in an unfamiliar environment.
TIP: If you know bedtime is going to be later than usual because you’ll be out, consider taking PJs with you so you can at least get them dressed and then continue the bedtime routine once you get home (if they haven’t fallen asleep in the car!).
2. Bring comfort items from home
Think about ways you can mimic the familiarity of your child’s sleep environment wherever it is that you’ll be. Consider taking sheets from their own crib, the same toys they usually have with them, your white noise or sound machine that they’re used to, and any common books you might read.
3. Maintain awake windows and nap on the go
You want to be able to enjoy your holidays, so don’t feel you have to be a slave to nap time and rush home for every sleep. Try and maintain your child’s regular awake windows and if you know that means a nap is going to fall while you’re out and about, take anything you need with you to allow them to nap on the go, such as a carrier, backpack, pram etc.
And if it all gets too much and everyone seems to be tired- traveling is exhausting with or without a baby in tow – Every time I found my baby not sleeping on vacation, doing a few nights of an earlier bedtime seemed to help. Sleep promotes sleep.
And just remember, it won’t always go smoothly, but you will make wonderful memories and that’s the most important thing at the end of the day.
And remember this golden rule- every time you find your baby not sleeping on vacation, doing a few nights of earlier bedtime will help. Sleep promotes sleep after all.