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There are only two more weeks until Christmas Eve, otherwise known as the hardest night of the year to get little kids to sleep. They know that Santa is coming and even though you remind them that he can’t actually come until they’re asleep, the excitement is just too much, and they put up a bedtime fight. Since you probably don’t want to spend Christmas Eve screaming at your child to “go to bed!!” you need hacks that can do the trick.
These tips can help you get those resistant kiddos to sleep on December 24th.
- Wear them out that day - Watching holiday movies is fun and all, but that’s not the way you should spend Christmas Eve day with your kids. Instead you need to pack the day with as much physical activity as they can take so they’re physically too exhausted to stay up late. Burn off all that energy so they’re so wiped out, they won’t complain when it’s bedtime.
- Give them an extra long bubble bath - Get the kids in relaxation mode with an indulgent bubble bath. Play some holiday music if you’re feeling festive or read them a Christmas book to add to the unwind factor.
- Bust out the white noise machine - This is especially helpful if you’re traveling and the kids are sleeping in an unfamiliar place. No white noise machine? No problem, use an app to help create an ideal sleeping environment so they’ll drift off easily.
- Avoid sugar bombs - With sweets and treats at every turn, this may be a challenge, but try to have the kids lay off the sweets on Christmas Eve. Grandma’s Christmas cookies will still be there tomorrow, so unless you want to jack your kid up before bedtime, cut them off after dinner.
- Put away the electronics early - The Sleep Foundation recommends to stop screen time 30 minutes before bed so devices don’t interfere with sleep. And if there was ever a night to stick to that, it’s Christmas Eve.
- Do a countdown - Make bedtime a game instead of a punishment by turning it into a game. Spend the day counting down the hours until everyone GETS to go to bed so Santa can come. You could even challenge the kids to see who falls asleep first and a little competition just might do the trick!
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