Sleeping Tips

The Santa Hunters: Are your kids actually sleeping Christmas Eve Night?

So after a long day of cooking and last minute shopping…oh come on you know you do it, the first thing you want to do is go to sleep. Too bad your kids want to stay up late to try a sneak glimpse of Santa. Then you remember that you still have to play Santa, but that can’t be done until the little rascals pass out. How may you get them to stay nestled all snug in their beds you ask? Well follow these simple tips and visions of sugar plums will be dancing in their heads in no time.

Start early and keep it going
You have a lot of stuff to do on Christmas Eve, so recruit your lil’ troopers to help out. Wake them up early and put them to work. This way, by the time bedtime comes around; they will be exhausted and have no choice but to fall asleep. The added bonus is that you will have more help around the house and it teaches your kids good work ethic. So start their day early and tire them out the old fashion way!

“It’s Bedtime Kids!”
Tell your kids to start getting ready for bed about half an hour before you usually do. Since they will have more trouble falling asleep this night due to all of the excitement, the extra half hour is key. We suggest getting ready when you get home from dinner (if you hosted, then after the guests leave). Then implement last week’s tips on sleeping away stress on your “too excited to sleep” little ones. Try giving them a warm bath or shower and make sure they don’t watch TV or play on the computer.

Help them find Santa!
When I was little, my dad would take me outside before bed to “find Santa.” He would take me right outside and look up into the sky with me. After about five minutes of me pointing our airplanes, my dad would pick one that had the red light and say “there he is!!” I would get so excited that I saw him in the sky that I wouldn’t even try to catch him in the act that night. Try doing this with your kid and you might get similar results. It will also give them some fresh air and will be the equivalent of last week’s tip to “take a stroll” so it will help them to get to sleep faster. Additionally, it is a great bonding moment that I know I will never forget, and your kids won’t either.

Storytime!
Try reading your little angels a story before you go to sleep. “Twas the Night Before Christmas” is a classic and will get them in the mood to sleep. Just make sure they are tucked in before you read it to them so they have the possibility to fall asleep mid-story. The more comfortable you make them; the more likely they will fall asleep before you even leave the room.

Don’t make Santa skip our house!!
Now it is never good to threaten your kids, but do tell them that Santa won’t come unless they are asleep. It will force them to try to sleep because they want Santa to come. We are already telling them that Santa exists, so telling them the only way they will get presents is if they sleep is no different. The magic of Christmas lies in the mystery. So keep the jitter-bugs guessing until they fall asleep to find it morning and they succeeded in falling asleep; meaning Santa came and their presents are all waiting under the tree for them.