Experts reveal seven tips to get the little ones to sleep well on Christmas Eve

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Santa can only come when the kids are asleep - here are expert tips on getting the little ones to nod off on Christmas eve

Christmas is officially here, and the excitement will be high in most households, especially those with little ones excited to see what Santa brings. With that comes the struggle of getting them to sleep on Christmas Eve.

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So many children are determined to stay up and catch Santa in real life, or simply can’t sleep because they’re too excited after leaving out their cookies, and milk. However, we all know that the big guy can’t come until all the kids are fast asleep.

Fear not though, Bed Kingdom have you covered with some ideas on how to make sure your kids are knackered when it comes to bedtime. A spokesperson for the company said: “Spending Christmas with the family is something that many of us look forward to all year, but having little ones around makes it that little bit more special. However, it can sometimes feel as though there’s nothing to prepare them for bedtime on Christmas Eve, resulting in a restless night’s sleep. Thankfully, there are several tips and tricks to keep them calm and avoid any tired children on Christmas Day.”

So, what are some of the sleep experts’ tips and tricks on how to get the children to sleep well on Christmas eve? We hope they help!

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Fill the morning with exercise

Whether it’s a family walk or perhaps their favourite sport, taking the little ones for some morning exercise will promote better sleep at night by burning off energy.

Keep them away from sugary foods after midday

This may seem impossible at this time of year but according to the experts it will prove much more of a challenge trying to get the children to sleep if they’ve had high-sugar foods near bedtime. By causing excess energy production, they will be overstimulated and therefore be kept awake resulting in disruptions during the night.

Keeping them up late will prevent a good night’s sleep

While it may seem like a later bedtime will help your child to sleep better at night, it will in fact do the opposite. Young children who are overtired will find it much more difficult to get some shut eye, and it will only prevent them from getting enough sleep if you plan on waking up particularly early on Christmas Day.

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Keep things calm on the evening

If your way of celebrating the festivities as a family includes lots of activities, it will work in your favour to keep these for the afternoon and have a calm atmosphere for the evening.

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Don’t alter their night-time routine

Your children will be aware that something is missing if you alter their night-time routine. You may think that sacrificing something like a bedtime story so that they can stay up for a little while longer will help to ease excitement out of their system, but their routine is their  signal for sleep.

Avoid using technology too close to bedtime

Again, this may be tough with all the great movies shown around Christmas. However, blue light, which is emitted from screens such as mobile phones, laptops, and TVs, can suppress the body’s hormone melatonin which is responsible for making us sleepy.

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Don’t forget to countdown before bedtime

Counting down until bedtime allows your kids to prepare for sleep, for example an hour, then half an hour, and fifteen minutes prior. Not only will you avoid the protest to staying up for longer, but it helps them transition into their bedtime routine easily.

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