Do holidays, birthdays, travel, family get togethers- mean later nights and stress over your baby/toddler’s sleep schedule?
I know that you want to enjoy these special moments but that it can simultaneously cause a lot of anxiety for parents.
Let me assure you that you can get your baby or toddler the sleep they need, stay well rested, have a great sleeper and at the same time be flexible to have some late nights. It all won’t come crashing down!
It’s okay to adjust bedtime once in a while, especially if you have worked on sleep and have a great little sleeper.
Here are 10 key tips for how to handle sleep and late nights:
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Make sure you are coming into it rested. If your baby or toddler is not sleeping well (12 hrs at night) and napping well, then we are going into late nights with a sleep deficit and that is a recipe for an overtired, fussy, hyper, screaming child who will have a lot of trouble managing their emotions, behaviour and well, melt down city.
You will also get lots of fractured nights and less sleep quality as a result of their little bodies being pushed to the brink of exhaustion. This can be prevented! Work on sleep before this. Make sure they are rested so they can cope so much better. A rested baby is so much more flexible.
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Practice sleeping on the go. Set them up for success by having them already familiar with their surroundings. We as humans, have trouble sleeping in environments that are not familiar to us. Our brains will not fully rest and will likely stay in a light stage of sleep because our bodies are designed to look out for dangers in places that are unknown. It’s a survival mechanism.
What helps with this is practicing naps on the go and sleeping in a car seat (not outside of the car as it’s not safe), stroller, play pen/pack-n-play ahead of time. If you can have a place for them to sleep that’s not overstimulating, dark and quiet (ish) or cover the stroller with a safe stroller mesh. Bring your portable white noise machine from home.
Add a catnap. If you want to move bedtime later, add some day sleep. Try a catnap between 4-5:30/6pm (likely this will have to be an assisted nap as it’s not an ideal time of the day for sleep). If you can get 20-30 minutes you can move bedtime later and count your wake window from the end of the catnap. This will buy you some time in the evening without your little one getting super grumpy.
Let naps go a little longer.If you know a catnap won’t happen and you often have to wake your little one from naps (never a bad thing to keep day sleep on track), then in this case allow naps to run a little longer. To be specific nap 2 or the midday nap, never the morning nap or you’ll end up with no nap in the afternoon. Then count wake window to a later bedtime.
What we are doing here is allowing sleep to steal from our nights, just this once, to create less sleep pressure and result in less tiredness for a later bedtime. This is not a long term option because our brains need deep sleep, which happens at the beginning of the night, cutting this sleep often robes us of this necessary non-rem slow wave sleep.
Set aside quiet time (toddlers). If you have a toddler, you know long naps can be a struggle on a good day. If you are offering a nap and it’s not happening, no stress. Instead offer a time for rest. Quiet time provides an opportunity for the body and mind to rest and often results in sleep- but no pressure if they just play a quiet activity and relax (turn off screens, reduce lighting). This is a great way to get your toddler to wind down and rest without necessarily having the pressure of having to sleep.
Keep bedtime routines wherever you go. A bedtime routines cues the body for sleep, no matter where you are. The only thing that needs to stay consistent when you can’t control the environment is YOU. Sneak off for pj’s and a short bedtime routine before putting your little one down in the stroller or pack n play and that will help wind them down and prepare them for sleep. Bring as many familiar sleep objects from home (sleep sack, sheets, pjs, white noise ect).
Be flexible. Believe me, I know how scary it is to vere off track when you don’t really know how your little one will handle it but trust that all the work you have done to keep sleep a priority will now pay off. If you are super stressed about it, your baby will be stressed as well. They pick up on EVERYTHING.
So now it’s time to let. it. go. Enjoy your time with your family and friends and trust that your little one will bounce back. Don’t let worry interfere with your special moments, I promise your baby can handle it and it won’t ruin sleep forever xx.
Understand your baby/toddlers temperament. If you know how your baby responds to new situations, you can plan accordingly. Every baby is different and has their own limitations, levels of adaptability and stressors. Some babies get overstimulated very easily, some are a little more flexible. If you understand this, then you can set expectation for how your baby will respond in these new situations and under the stress of being tired. This might mean, bringing a cover for the stroller, removing them from loud noise or from being passed around at dinner. All of this is very child specific and you as the parent can make these decisions to help them cope (and help you cope as well). Stand firm with your decisions. You are the parent and do whatever you think is best.
Reduce sugar. Now this is a difficult one around the holidays for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Family dinners, holidays, vacations usually means lots of extra treats. Sugar can have an impact on the quality of your little ones sleep. Try to cut the sugar at least one hour before bedtime to prevent a sugar crash while sleeping.
10. Get back to your normal consistent healthy sleep habits the next day or when you get back! What is most important is what you do 80% of the time. Once you’ve enjoyed a late night or nights and get back home. Go back to a great predictable routine and it will all come back very quickly. If you don’t have a sleep plan or method of responding that you’ve decided is best for your family, then this is the time to get one. This will be your guide when you get off track and will create an easy transition back to great sleep.
If you don’t already have a sleep plan built out for you, then it’s not too late!Get one here: Your Dream Plan
Sleep is about knowing what to expect, being confident troubleshooting and being consistent with your plan- MOST of the time! So you can enjoy the special occasions, holidays and off times without stress or worry.
So you can handle a few detours and enjoy the magical moments feeling rested!
If you want to feel your best, feel rested and back to the parent you envisioned before falling into exhaustion, then take the first step and let me assess and we’ll find the best plan and support for you. Book a free call here.
