As a parent, you already understand how important sleep is for both you and your children, especially during vacation time. With festivities, outings, family time and family traditions on the agenda, no one would want their child to be sick or cranky through it all. Getting the correct amount of rest boosts your immune system’s defense against those inconvenient holiday bugs, while also improving your mood and energy levels so you’ll all enjoy the vacations to the fullest.
But putting your kids to sleep is easier said than done. Luckily, there are effective tricks to assist speed up your little munchkin’s trip to dreamland and also allow you to get some sleep. While we can’t personally guarantee the time it’ll take them to fall asleep and begin dreaming of Christmas, these are some of the sleep tips which have proven effective in the past with parents.
Stick to the regular routine
Be it Christmas or any other day, your children need to stick to a routine to maintain healthy sleep habits, and children thrive with routine. Ask them to wake up at the same time every morning even during vacations, keep them engaged the whole day, and keep an early bedtime. As vacations mean no school work, ask your children to help with your Christmas preparations like baking, decorating, inviting, or making cards.
They will not only have fun helping you, they will also be occupied and not causing disturbances for you. Help them make plans with you and help you make a list. At the end of the day, they will be so tired and sleepy that you won’t need to put any extra effort to help them snooze. What you will need additionally is a perfectly luxurious and comfortable mattress for them to reach their dreamland- the ones you will only find on Livpure. Livpure has a wide range of mattresses for you and your children’s sleeping needs. The mattresses come in a box and are delivered to you faster than other services.
Limit their sugar intake
During Christmas, we get a lot of chocolates, as Christmas gifts or just to eat at home. Speaking of chocolate, attempt to limit your children’s sugar intake on holiday. We understand that treats are likely part of holiday traditions but make healthier substitutes for sugary treats wherever possible. Sugar acts as a stimulant and can encourage them to remain up much later, despite their activity levels during the day.
Healthy substitutes may be homemade chocolate (instead of store-bought), made with raw cacao powder, almond milk, and sweetened with a touch little bit of raw honey. Perhaps you’ll switch chocolate and candy for dark organic chocolate, which is significantly lower in sugar (and also contains magnesium to market relaxation and restful sleep). You can get these in organic stores. If you see that it is impossible to avoid sweeteners during the vacations, cut servings in half, avoid serving sugary drinks like soda, and let their last sugary treat be consumed no later than 2 pm so that they can go to bed early in the night.
Better yet, make your own holiday treats by baking with natural sugar substitutes like coconut sugar or green leaf stevia. Natural sweeteners will have less control over hyperactivity and don’t cause intense glucose spikes the way sweetener does. This is a very essential sleep tip as extra sweeteners can make or break the daily sleepy time.
Outdoor games
Try to get your children to have plenty of sunshine and keep them active throughout the day by inculcating some outdoor games and exercises in their routines. Get your children outside to exercise. Children have a high a high energy level and need an outlet for in order to have a better quality and meaningful night’s sleep. A family walk is great and playing any energetic sport even better.
The light during the day also strengthens the body clock for the evening sleep. Not only is exercise good for his or her mood, immune system, and digestion, it’ll also help tire them out much earlier, helping them go to sleep quickly at the hours of darkness. For it to be an effective sleep tip, try to get some holiday time sport involved so they get interested to go out and play. Invite family and friends to the park or nearby ground and engage in some team sports, going with the holiday spirit.
Turn off all electronics way before bedtime
If your child plays games, reads books, or watches TV shows on an iPad or another device, make certain to place them away from their games and shows a minimum of an hour before bedtime. Although it’s tempting to watch The Grinch right up until bedtime, electronics will stimulate your child before bed, and sabotage all of your efforts towards a restful sleep for them and eventually, you as well.
The blue light emitted from the screens of devices could have a negative impact on your child’s sleep, because it impacts melatonin levels, the sleep-inducing hormone. Try creating a tech-free environment an hour before bedtime; maybe a Christmas themed bedtime story instead to assist your little ones to fall asleep. You can get cozy inside your comforter and see, whilst storytelling only, your little one will doze off. It can be the magic of storytelling, but the new all-season comforters from Livpure are so good and comfortable, your child might be dozing off because of that luxury as well, making your work easier!
Quiet gratitude voices
Speaking in a low and hushed tone after dinner will let your child know it’s going to be bedtime soon. Using even slightly louder voices can help stimulate excitement and application in your kid, irrespective of how tired they will be. For this reason, using soothing, quiet voices an hour before bed also will promote relaxation and sleep.
If prayer, meditation, or gratitude together with your child is part of your night routine, make sure you maintain a low volume during this ritual as well. Take three deep breaths and have your kids repeat after you, any kind of chanting, totally dependent on you. You can also start making them practice meditation from an early age.
Conclusion
If all else fails, and that they just won’t head to sleep, just tell them that Santa won’t come whilst they’re awake. That just might be what makes them want to sleep early! These sleeping tips aren’t hard and fast rules, just some hints and tricks that you just might want to use so as to assist your children to get to sleep. Just think, once they’re asleep, you’ll be able to put your feet up with a glass of wine and watch the holiday specials. Or do some last bit of gift wrapping!
Merry Christmas!