The holidays are a time for fun, family, friendship, and celebration – but for parents with newborns, it presents a new set of challenges. Between traveling, busy family get-togethers, and late-night festivities, keeping a strict sleep schedule seems impossible. However, maintaining a consistent routine is essential for your baby’s health and happiness, and your peace of mind during this busy holiday season.

While holiday fun might tempt you to throw routine out the window, with a little thoughtful planning, you can enjoy the season to its fullest without sacrificing your baby’s sleep.

Let’s explore a few expert-backed, practical tips to help keep your little one’s sleep on track and ensure an enjoyable holiday for the whole family.

1. Stick to the routine as much as possible

Even if your schedule gets busier around the holidays, it’s best to try and keep aspects of your little one’s routine the same. For example, you could:

1. Read the same bedtime stories.
2. Sing the same lullaby.
3. Use your regular white noise machine/settings.

Your baby is probably used to these elements of bedtime as signals that it’s time for sleep. So, even if you’re not home, your baby will recognize these cues, associate them with bedtime, and rest more soundly.

2. Bedtime/naptime consistency during travel

When you’re traveling to and from gatherings around the holidays, it’s better to plan travel around your baby’s regular naptime so that travel aligns with their natural sleep rhythm. This way, your little one will get rest on the go, and your plane or car rides will be smoother.

• Bring familiar sleep aids: To make their transition to a nap in the car or on the plane easier, pack a few familiar sleep items like – a pacifier, swaddle, or a portable sound machine. Try to recreate the sleep environment they have at home to the best of your ability.

If you’re traveling to a different time zone, you may want to start slowly adjusting your baby’s sleep schedule (bring it forward or push it back in small increments) to help them adapt to the new timing when you arrive at your destination.

3. Plan ahead

The best way to navigate your baby’s sleep amidst all the festive chaos is to plan, plan, plan. Begin by checking your festive calendar for:

• Baby friendly gatherings
• Adult-only events that may require a babysitter or caregiver

When attending events with baby, communicate their nap/bedtime schedule with family and friends to ensure there are no interruptions during those times. Setting boundaries beforehand will ensure your little one stays well-rested.

Lastly, despite the fun-filled festivities before the baby’s arrival, it might be best to pick and choose events that align with your little one’s sleep needs. Opt to attend shorter parties or daytime events to prevent disruptions to your growing baby’s routine. You can always attend anything you miss next year!

4. Manage overstimulation

The holidays are filled with so many sights, sounds, and activities – lights, gift exchanges, friends and family all around, conversation, music, dancing, the list goes on. This can all be very overstimulating for little humans who are new to the world.

To avoid overstimulation that will interfere with your baby’s sleep, you should:

• Look out for signs such as yawning, eye-rubbing, and excessive fussiness.
• Take time for a quiet respite during the activities. Put them down to nap or just give them a break in a room away from all the noise so they can decompress and recharge without getting overwhelmed.

5. Create a sleep kit

Consider a portable sleep kit to make managing your baby’s sleep routine while traveling or attending parties easier. Your kit could include essentials such as:

• A portable white noise machine.
• Extra pacifiers,  swaddles, and sleep snacks.
• A travel-sized humidifier.
• A portable night light and baby monitor.
• A travel-friendly bottle warmer

With this kit, you can replicate your baby’s familiar sleep routine no matter where you are, and help them settle easier.

6. Protect their immune system

While your main focus during travel might be your little one’s sleep, it is also important to ensure they stay healthy in new environments. So, remember to wash your hands frequently after handling gifts, or meeting new people. Additionally, try to attend smaller gatherings rather than larger shindigs this holiday season.

7. Incorporate self-care for parents

The holidays with all their goings-on can be quite stressful on you as parents, this could potentially impact your baby’s routine. So, ensuring you feel good is as important as maintaining your little one’s sleep routine during the holidays.

Take breaks when needed, sit down, and catch your breath. Additionally, try to delegate tasks so cooking, cleaning, decorating, and packing gifts don’t all fall on one person but are split between family members. And remember, to have a good time!

Conclusion

The holidays can be a whirlwind, but maintaining your baby’s sleep routine doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow the tips above, and your first holiday season with a newborn will turn out to be enjoyable. Hopefully, these tips help you navigate this magical, yet busy, season with a little less stress.