'Tis the Season to be Sleepy: Tips for Keeping Your Kids On Track - Part Two!

Yesterday we shared our sleep expert Elizabeth Pantley's tips for how to make sure your kids sleep through the holidays (that is, sleep during the right part of the holidays). Today, Elizabeth weighs in on whether or not stick to a routine, and how to deal with sleeping away from home.
 
Routine or Let Go?
Do you stick with your usual bedtime routine or have a relaxed holiday? The answer is: BOTH. Aim to stay as close to your usual routine as possible, but relax a bit and go with the flow when the situation calls for it. For example, stick to your child’s regular bed time and nap schedule – except when a night at the movies, a party, a special visitor, or other holiday event occurs.  Once the event is over, get back to the normal sleep time routine. By doing this, your child – and you – can enjoy the holidays without suffering from grumpy sleep-deprived meltdowns and tantrums (from your child or from you!)

Sleeping Away from Home
You can’t use the exact routines that work at home…but you can follow parts of your usual routine. Try to create a similar sleep setting for your child. If your little one sleeps in a crib bring along a portable folding crib. (Let your child sleep in it a few times at home so that it’s familiar.) 

Bring along your child’s typical sleep-aids, such as his blanket, crib sheets, pillow, stuffed animal, or lullaby music. 

Pack a nightlight to make potty runs and diaper changes easier, and so that you can avoid turning on bring lights at night and disrupting sleep cycles.

For co-sleepers, always create a safe sleeping place for your child. If you know that pushing the bed against the wall, moving a dresser, or replacing a fluffy comforter with a blanket would make the situation safer, then politely explain to your host. Let her know that you’ll move things back before you leave (and then remember to do so). If you’re saying in a hotel, the housekeeping staff will often help with this if you ask politely.
Follow your usual pre-bed routine. Bring along books to read, and then stick to your normal tooth brushing-book-reading-back rubbing rituals.

Take advantage of the fact that daily cues help keep sleep consistent. Make an effort to serve meals of familiar foods at regular times. (Believe it or not, now isn’t the time to force your picky-eating child to try new and different cuisine.) Keep things dimly lit at night, and avoid pre-bed wrestling matches and sugary before bed treats.