How To Maintain Your Child's Sleep Through The Holidays

With the holidays approaching, it's totally natural for parents who have recently gotten their babies sleeping on a schedule to worry. No one wants a sleep regression over the holidays. Which is a very reasonable concern knowing how much you put into helping your little one sleep well! Between the travel, the excitement, the constant attention from friends and family members you may not have seen in a while, and then travel all over again, it can be easy for things to fall apart.

But no worries, you can travel AND sleep well! With some planning you can keep your amazing routine running just the way you did at home.

There are two major hurdles to your little one’s sleep over the holidays. One is travel (by car or plane) and the other is family/friends, so they both need to be covered.

Travel And Sleep

If you’re thinking about starting sleep training your little one, think if you have anything coming up. In case you’ve got a trip coming in a few weeks, I would 100% recommend waiting until after you return and can be in your typical environment. If you’ve already started, no worries! Taking a trip won’t help your little one sleep better (usually). However, if you can maintain some normalcy during your trip, you can get right back on track once home.

If you’re driving, try your best to schedule your driving time over baby’s naps. Car naps aren’t ideal, but compared to no naps at all, it is a way better option. If possible, get on the road right around the time that your child would be taking their first nap. If you’re a planner, you might even look for some parks, or other activities that are on along the way. It’s a great chance to get some fresh air and some energy out, which will make that next nap that much easier.

Flying gets a little bit harder. Planes and babies don't always go together, so I suggest that you do whatever gets you through the flight with a minimum amount of fuss. Hand out snacks, let them play with your phone, and do what you need to do to make it through. When we went on our first flight with Baby O, I made sure to nurse him while we were ascending and descending. My goal was to have him sleeping the entire way in my arms during the flight. If they don’t want to sleep on the plane, there is really nothing you can do. You cannot make anyone sleep! It will just result in frustration for everyone, which is the last thing you want on a plane.

Friends/Family and Sleep

On the plane or in the car, everyone was on the same page and wanted baby to sleep. But now that you’re at your destination, it’s just the opposite! Everyone wants your little one awake so they can see them, play, take a thousand pictures, and get them overstimulated. And although you know that your little one may be due for a nap soon, it's really hard to pry them away from friends and family that may not have seen them in a while.

You know your little one best, so do not hesitate to advocate for them. You know when they are getting over stimulated, over tired or need a rest.  Don’t negotiate, don’t make exceptions, and don’t feel bad about it. Firmly explain to anyone who’s giving you the “I’ll just sneak in a take a quick peek,” that your little one really needs their sleep to be able to be fun, engaging and enjoyable when they wake. Let them know what time your little ones nap typically ends,  and to hang around, come back, or catch you the next time. Or better yet, tell people in advance when to expect some baby time based on baby’s schedule.

I know it sounds harsh, but the alternative is an exhausted overtired baby and stressed out parents. If your little one misses a nap, gets all fired up because of all the new faces and activity, then overtiredness kicks in and cortisol production goes up. Then the next nap is ruined, which results in more overtiredness which derails nighttime sleep. Then before you know it, you’re headed home and it seems like baby did nothing but cry the entire trip.

Sleeping Away From Home

Now... you've made it through the day and gotten solid naps in - yay! The only catch is that, with all of the company staying at the house, there’s only one room for you and baby.

If your little one isn't used to sharing a room, this could cause some trouble while trying to get them down. Or it may wake them when their favorite people (you!) are also trying to sleep!

You have a couple options: Invest in a Slumberpod ("BABYOANDI$20" saves you money!), put up a partition, or find a large space like a walk-in closet to put them.

That sounds crazy, I know, but really, a decent sized closet is a great place for baby to sleep. It’s dark, it’s quiet, they won’t be distracted by being able to see you. If people are accidentally walking in and out of the room it will be much less of a distraction.

If your little one does cry initially while going down or while waking at night, try your best to stick to how you would typically respond while at home. This is by waiting a few minutes then providing support in the play yard or cot. It can feel hard knowing there are a lot of other people in the home that you are possibly disturbing though. Judge the situation and see if they need a bit more support night one while sleeping in an unfamiliar location without derailing all your work.

Don't forget...

Just remember, this is your family and your child! Try not to fall to the judgements or comments of others. Others are always "recommending" things you should or shouldn't do or feeling hurt that you won't wake your little one so they can play with them. You know your baby best and know what works and does not work for them!