Christmas is so busy that it can be tricky time of year to navigate with a baby. So many people to see, things to do and time spent away from home - and the normal routine can get thrown out of the window!

Jenna, baby sleep consultant and founder of Little Dreams Consulting has three tips to help ensure a smooth and happy festive period for your baby or toddler, and therefore for you too!

• Try to relax but stick to some sort of routine if you can. An occasional car nap or slightly later bedtime isn’t going to do too much harm, but if your little one spends a couple of days taking car seat naps here and there and having late bedtimes, they may become so overtired that by bedtime they will be really upset and find it hard to get to sleep. Ensure you schedule a few cot naps over the festive period too to ensure your little one remains well rested.

• Keep to control your schedule to suit you. Try not to have too many things going on at once during the festive period. The biggest mistake parents make is that they over-schedule themselves, and their children so try to stick to your child’s routine during Christmas and let them have some ‘down time’ to recover from all the excitement.

• Be consistent even when away from home.  If you are staying away from home or at relatives’ houses, it’s very normal for babies and toddlers to test the boundaries around sleep when they are somewhere new. The best way to handle this is maintain consistency - perhaps go in every five minutes or so to offer a bit of reassurance, but other than that, don’t bend your rules. If you stick to your routine and maintain consistency, within the first night or two, your little one will be used to the new environment and will be sleeping well again. 

You can find out more about Jenna and how she can help your sleep issues and routines on her website Little Dreams Consulting, on Facebook and find her on Instagram as @LittleDreamsConsultingLTD

Further Reading:

Baby Sleep and Travel at Christmas
How to Manage Holiday Disruptions to Your Baby's Sleep
Mastering Your Baby's Sleep Routine Over Christmas