The holidays can be enjoyable, but your child might feel unsettled once they are over. Festive activities often bring extra sugar, late nights, and unpredictable routines that can disrupt sleep, so your family may need to re-establish healthy sleep habits.
Here’s a simple plan to help parents bring back a healthy sleep routine for the new year.
Bringing Back Bedtime Routines
When you’re short on time, routines can slip through the cracks. A consistent bedtime ritual is the first step in getting things back to normal. The National Library of Medicine says regular bedtime ritual cues the brain that sleep is coming. It also helps the wind-down process.
Keep your nighttime routine to 30 minutes or less. This can help prevent bedtime struggles and make it less likely your child will feel restless.
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Return to Basic Bedtime Rules
If you ended up co-sleeping while traveling with your toddler, now is the time to get back to basics. Stick to your routine. Independent sleep is important. The longer you put off returning to it, the harder it will be to get back on track.
To make it easier, write out your bedtime routine. Think about what your child needs before bed. Do they need to have playtime after their bath? Do they want a stuffed animal or a story? Whatever it is, write it down and follow your list.
You might have a few tough nights at first, but things will get easier. Soon, your family will be back to normal routine before school starts.
Set Expectations for Returning to School or Childcare
Once your child’s sleep routine is back to normal, they may face external stressors that make preparing for back-to-school a little difficult. It’s important to discuss those concerns with your toddler as they come.
Are they nervous about seeing their friends after a while? A new teacher? Walk your child through what they should expect on their first day back, offering empathy over the big hurdles coming.
Anxiety is a natural feeling and is easy to console when you understand why they may feel particularly challenged.
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Construct a Routine on Meals and Snacks
While a toddler’s appetite is always ambiguous, you can schedule regular snacks and meals throughout the day. Placing them in predictable patterns, such as their childcare or school, will make it easier to ease back into the classroom.
Struggling to Keep the Routine?
Please use these tips to get your children ready for back-to-school after the holiday break. And more importantly, let your teachers know if your child is experiencing any particular anxiety on drop-off day.
At Angels Care & Learning Center, we truly value empathy in our students and will help parents guide them through the transition. If you’re interested in enrolling with your child, set up a tour of one of our facilities today. We’re excited to see you!