December is a whirlwind of shopping, cooking, holiday parties, the list goes on! When January hits, many families realize that their children’s sleep is all over the place. Sleep problems often develop during or after the holidays, even in children who were previously great sleepers. This blog will help you with getting back on track with sleep after the holidays (or really after any regression, traveling, etc.)
There are several things I often see that cause a regression after a holiday. One issue is having parents in the same room as the child, both at bedtime and during the night while traveling. Another common issue is children getting out of their usual routine, such as getting used to a later bedtime. This can be especially difficult if you have traveled outside of your time zone. Also, extra assistance is often used to settle them while away from home, both at bedtime and during the night. Many parents find themselves resorting back to old habits or starting new ones, like feeding to sleep or feeding during the night. There are many options to break these habits.
Here are three main things you will need to do to help your child get back into a regular sleep routine:
- Ensure that your child has an age-appropriate routine, which includes naps that are at the right time and length, and an early bedtime. Schedule less activity the first week back, and try to ease back into your usual schedule. An earlier than usual bedtime may be necessary for a few nights, to help your child get back on track. If naps have been shorter than usual, your child may just be overtired and need naps a little earlier for a few days. Wake your child up at 7:30 am every morning if she is still sleeping. It is tempting to want to let her sleep when she has been up during the night, but that will often continue the problems.
- You will need to make sure that your child knows how to fall asleep independently at bedtime. Some children fall into their old poor sleep habits, or start completely new ones during the holidays. If your baby just started to self-soothe, she may have forgotten how to do it over the holidays; this can happen relatively quickly. Help her to remember by teaching her from scratch, just like you did the first time. It may take longer, if this is not your first time to sleep train.
- Your child will need to know how to get back to sleep during the night without help. You will want to use the same method you are using at bedtime, in order to break any bad habits. Stay consistent, and it shouldn’t take too long to get your child’s sleep routine back on track after the holidays
If you need help with this or anything else, make sure to contact me!