How To Get Your Kids To Sleep On Christmas Eve

We all get excited the night before Christmas; there’s no point even trying to deny it! But we all know that children get extra excited, ready to open presents as soon as possible. That said, Christmas may excite them too much and hinder them from getting any sleep. So keeping this in mind, here are some easy tips on how to get your kids to sleep on Christmas Eve…

Get plenty of exercise during the day

When it comes to bedtime on Christmas Eve, you want your child to be tired enough to fall asleep. Ensuring they exercise during the day is a fantastic way of achieving this. However, make sure this is several hours before their scheduled bedtime. It could make it harder for your children to wind down otherwise.

Stick to their usual bedtime routine

Even though it’s one of the most exciting nights of the year, sticking to their usual bedtime routine will make it easier for you. If they stay up later, it will only cause more exhilaration and anticipation for Santa. To take it a step further, try and keep to their daily routines as much as possible in the lead-up to Christmas. Not only will this ensure that their everyday body clocks are regulated, but their bedtime routine is in sync.

Avoid staying up late with your kids to ‘tire them out’. This can easily backfire on you.

Turn off electronics close to bedtime

Kicking back and watching a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve is lovely, but you should avoid doing it close to your little one’s bedtime. Blue light emitted from electronics can cause us to stay up later as it prevents our sleep hormone, melatonin, from being released. For this reason, keep the electronics away 30-45 minutes before bed.

Agree on a time to open presents in the morning

As soon as your kids wake up on Christmas morning, their first instinct will be to open their presents. If you’re not keen on getting woken up in the early morning hours, it’s worth agreeing on a time when presents can be opened. Don’t make it too late – the waiting will undoubtedly be excruciating for them!

Read a Christmas bedtime story

Reading a Christmas-themed bedtime story is a great way to avoid screen time. Moreover, it will help your kids feel sleepy while keeping the Christmas spirit going. 

Don’t be too loud when putting presents under the tree

Despite your best efforts to get them off to sleep, you want to avoid waking them up whilst you put the presents out. Make sure you keep it down so you don’t stir them; otherwise, you could have a later night than expected.

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