‘Tis the season for late-night holiday parties and traveling to see family! I am here to give you some tips on how to help maintain your children’s sleep over the holiday season.
As the holiday season approaches, I am receiving a lot of questions from panicked parents who have newly sleep-trained children and are worried they are going to ruin all of their hard work. I am here to tell you that a night or two away from your sleep plan is probably not going to cause great harm. Relapse can however be caused when there are significant changes multiple nights in a row. Two of the biggest problems we run into during the holidays are travel and social dynamics such as family and friends.
If you are thinking about starting sleep training around the holiday season, when you know you will be out of town or busy with holiday parties, I highly recommend you wait until the new year to start making changes to your child’s sleep.
Travel
Driving – It is best to plan your driving time around your child’s nap times. So, if your younger baby naps around 8:00 am, plan to be in the car driving around that time. Car naps are generally not the best quality sleep so you might have to shorten the next wake time to make up for a less sound sleep, or shorter than the usual nap.
Flying- Babies on a plane doesn’t have to be as bad as Snakes on a Plane! Here are some ways to help you and the surrounding passengers. Once you board your flight, do everything in your power to entertain the baby to keep everyone on the plane sane.
If the flight is long, this is the only time I say do whatever you need to do to get the baby to sleep. Bring your child’s favorite sleep stuffy and keep track of wake times. If the baby refuses to sleep, that is ok. We don’t want you or the baby to feel frustrated.
Once the plane has arrived, the baby will probably fall asleep in the car and make up for the missed sleep from the flight. After you arrive at your destination, try your best to get back onto some sort of regular sleep schedule.
Visiting with family
We all know that everyone has an opinion about how you should be raising your child. This is especially true if you mention to them that you have sleep trained your baby.
When visiting out of town family, it’s likely you will have to share a room with your child and that is ok. Bring a playpen and try to position it in the room so baby can’t see you. Bringing an extra sheet is helpful to divide the room, giving you both the comfort and space you need to sleep well. Another option that might sound a tad crazy is using a decent-sized closet in the room, if possible. A closet is a great way to have a visual barrier between you both and gives you some freedom to come and go as you please without disturbing the baby.
It is going to be tough to not give in to old props such as rocking or a soother but stick to your guns or it can be a slippery slope. Babies are very smart and even after a few nights with a reintroduced sleep prop, it can be even harder to break again when you get home.
If you have a young baby, continue to follow wake times. If you have an older child, keep with their set schedule even if that means having to leave a holiday party a bit earlier. Be prepared to have pushback from family about following your routine. Family members often feel entitled to seeing a baby. They want to have a longer cuddle, or to keep the baby up to see Auntie Suzie who is now 2 hours late. Simply say the baby has needs and sleep is as important as eating. Would you deprive your child of food because you were waiting for Auntie Suzie? My guess is no.
If you are still feeling the pressure from some overbearing family members, you can blame me! Explain to them that a pediatric sleep consultant taught you the extreme importance of sleep. Babies who have independent sleep strategies sleep better and acquire a multitude of health benefits.
I personally have felt extremely judged by family and friends for choosing to encourage independent sleep. I find some older relatives just don’t understand, and that’s ok. You have done something amazing and beneficial for your child; and hopefully, a little holiday cheer won’t mess that up too much. You are a strong and confident Mama (parent). Do not let anyone make you feel less than for sticking to your guns and staying consistent!
Kattie is a certified pediatric sleep consultant with a background in early childhood education. She has a passion for educating others on infant-toddler development. As a mother of 2.5, she understands the struggles some parents face with understanding sleep patterns and healthy sleep habits. It is Kattie’s mission to help aid in the struggle all moms face: sleep!
