This is a guest post from Lauren @ Lullaby Bear Sleep Support

The holidays are such an exciting and busy time for families. Family trips away, days out, late nights and the normal day to day routine goes out the window. For some parents, this can cause some anxiety. How can we manage our little one’s sleep but also enjoy all the fun things the holiday period brings? 

If you are going away, try and keep your sleep environment as consistent as you can for both nap times and bedtime. Bring all their usual sleep cues, for instance their sleep bag, comforters, and dummy. If you use white noise at home, bring a portable white noise machine. They are a great way to help block out those sudden loud noises!

Keep to your usual bed and naptime routine as best you can. Even while out and about you can still do a mini nap routine, for instance nappy change, milk and cuddle before placing them in the pram with their comforters and the white noise machine on.

Is the room you're staying in letting in lots of light?

You can put up a portable black out blind or if your little one is sleeping in a travel cot or cot bed, SnoozeShade has a black out canopy that I have used countless times for my boys and I thoroughly recommend it!

If you have lots of travelling to do, try and plan the car journeys during their nap times so that when you arrive, they are well rested and ready to enjoy all the festive fun! If naps haven’t gone quite to plan and there is still fun to be had, don’t be afraid to add in an extra catnap of 15-20 minutes in the late afternoon to help get them to bedtime.

Have you got a little one that gets distracted when trying to nap out and about?

SnoozeShade has a variety of stroller shades which not only provide your little one with a dark and cosy sleep environment, they will also help minimise all those distractions!

The holidays are such an exciting time and it can lead to a lot of overstimulation for our children. Before you start the bedtime routine, try and have 15 minutes of wind down time so that when you start the bedtime routine they are nice and calm and ready for bed.

Most importantly, try and not worry too much about sleep and just enjoy the festive season! As soon as it is over, you can get back to your normal routine. I hope these tips help and that you all have a happy new year! 

About me

My name is Lauren and I am a Baby, Child and Autism Sleep Coach for children aged 0 to 10 years. After experiencing a range of sleep challenges with my 2 boys, I was inspired to train as a Sleep Coach myself. I work 1 on 1 with families to create bespoke sleep plans to help them achieve their sleep goals and I offer daily support and follow up calls so I can be there every step of the way. 

Visit Laurens website for more info --  www.lullabybearsleepsupport.com