Parents’ holiday wishes are simple: children tucked snug in bed, dreaming
of sugar plums. But for families with small children, the winter holidays
aren’t always sleep-friendly. From late-night parties and holiday travel to
school performances and visiting relatives, the holiday season is packed
with sleep disruptions. Unfortunately, this can leave children tired and
cranky during holiday celebrations – just when parents are looking forward
to relaxed family time.
“Happily, parents can support sounder sleep during this hectic time of
year, and doing so can make the holidays more enjoyable for all family
members,” says Charles Shubin, M.D., pediatrician with the University of
Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Read on for age-appropriate
tips to keep holiday nights silent and restful, so kids can enjoy a merry
season.
Tuckered-out traveler
“When holiday travel spans the nighttime hours, plan ahead for a smooth
bedtime on the airplane or in the car. An on-the-go bedtime routine should
mimic your child’s at-home bedtime routine,” says Michael Hobaugh, M.D.,
Ph.D., president of the medical staff at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in
Chicago. Familiar bedtime rituals serve as cues for sleep, easing a child
into peaceful slumber. “Bring a child’s regular pajamas, toothbrush,
storybooks and anything else used in the bedtime routine at home,” Hobaugh
adds. “On an airplane, go to the bathroom, brush teeth and wash up, and
read bedtime stories as usual. This serves as a transition to bedtime and
helps children understand that it’s time to sleep.”
Sleepy scene
Similarly, if a holiday trip has your family sleeping at a hotel or
relative’s home, create a familiar sleep scene for your child by bringing a
few bedroom elements from home, like a special blanket, pillow, nightlight
and even a special framed photo for the nightstand. “Children crave routine
and familiarity,” says Shubin. Travel means new faces and new places, which
can equal stress and poor sleep for little ones; surrounding a child with
familiar comforts at bedtime reduces the stress of travel and helps
children fall asleep more quickly and wake less often.
Cabin fever
“Don’t expect children to bed down easily at night when they’ve spent the
day cooped up in a vehicle or airplane, particularly if they’ve been
napping during the trip,” says Hobaugh. Kids need around 60 minutes of
physical activity per day to help prepare for restful sleep at night. Take
every opportunity to let kids burn off energy en-route; walk up and down
airplane aisles, do a loop around the airport terminal when switching
planes; on car trips, stop at a rest area and allow kids a 15-minute play
break every 90 minutes.
Comfort cues
When kids sleep fitfully in the winter, check the temperature. During the
winter, bedrooms are flooded with stale, dry, overheated air – this is
especially true in hotel rooms – and parents often dress children in footed
fleece pajamas, pile on warm blankets and dial up the heater in an attempt
to keep kids cozy at night. This can backfire because sleeping in a room
that’s too hot can result in poor-quality sleep and nightmares; according
to the
National Sleep Foundation
, sleeping in an overheated bedroom is a contributing factor in Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The ideal temperature for sleep is on the
cooler side – around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry, heated air can worsen
coughing and snoring; some children may benefit from a bedroom humidifier
to ease nighttime breathing.
Bedtime bend
“Attending a long-awaited holiday party that you don’t want your child to
miss? It’s OK to bend bedtime rules on special occasions,” says Gary
Feldman, M.D., medical director of the Stramski Developmental Center at
Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, California. “It’s not fair to ask children to miss out on
the excitement of the holidays, but you don’t want them to stay awake to
the point of exhaustion, either,” he says. Keep the party fun for all, and
a child’s daily routine intact, by altering a child’s bedtime slightly
without completely disregarding it. For children under ten, set a “party”
bedtime up to an hour later than a child’s normal bedtime. Bend bedtime by
two hours or more, and you may be asking for a meltdown.
Morning after
“When children stay up later than normal, parents may be tempted to let
them ‘sleep it off’ the following morning,” says Hobaugh. But allowing
children to sleep in hours later than normal can throw off that night’s
bedtime, resulting in a routine that’s off-kilter for days. The morning
after an exciting holiday party, let children sleep in up to 30 minutes
later than normal, and accept that they’ll be tired that day. Plan for an
appropriately early bedtime that evening; a good night’s sleep will help
children bounce back from party-induced overtiredness quickly, and help
everyone enjoy all the season has to offer.
