How to Survive Baby Sleep During the Festive Season
(A Very Honest Mum’s Guide, Featuring Tears, Biscuit Crumbs & One Surprisingly Loud Grandad)
Look, I adore Christmas.
The lights, the food, the vibe of “it’s 10am but mulled wine counts as hydration, right?”
But trying to keep a baby well-rested during the festive season?
Honestly, it’s like trying to put a Santa hat on a cat - technically possible (I would know), but you will question your life choices.
Here are my top festive sleep tips, told through the very real stories of one mother (me) who has definitely learned the hard way.
1. Protect the Nap (Even If It Means Hiding in a Guest Room Like a Sleep Ninja)
Last year at Nanny’s, I attempted to do the right thing and keep one proper nap at home.
Except we were already running late, the baby had eaten wrapping paper, and I had packed exactly zero nappies but six different types of chutney.
So the “home nap” turned into “a nap in Nanny’s utility room beside the washing machine.”
But guess what?
Baby slept.
Because the nap was protected… even if my sanity wasn’t.
Takeaway:
Holiday chaos will hit harder than a toddler discovering sugar, but if you can keep one nap in a familiar, calm space, it makes a huge difference.
2. Stick to Your Bedtime Ritual (Even If Bedtime Happens Three Hours Late)
At a Christmas party, I tried to pop my baby to bed at her “usual bedtime.”
Except the DJ (why was there a DJ??!) decided 7pm was the perfect time for WHAM! at full volume, and Auntie thought that flashing reindeer earrings would “soothe the baby.”
They did not.
Eventually, we did milk → bath → PJs → milk → gentle story…
In the host’s en-suite bathroom.
With the shower curtain as our blackout blind and a rolled-up towel as a white-noise machine substitute.
And it worked.
Because babies love consistency, not perfection.
Takeaway:
Where you do the routine matters less than doing the routine. It’s the predictability they cling to, like you cling to your fourth mince pie.
3. Watch the Wake Windows (Especially When Baby Is High on Attention & Shortbread)
During one festive lunch, my baby was passed around like a hot potato -
“Oh give her to me!”
“No, my turn!”
“Let me just take a photo!”
“She smiled! Take another photo!”
By the time she got back to me, her little eyes were glazed over like a Christmas ham.
Cue the overtired meltdown that could be heard three counties away.
Takeaway:
Holiday overstimulation is REAL.
Wake windows are your anchor.
If you see the yawn, the stare, the “I’m about to lose it” eyebrow twitch - it’s time.
4. Create a Portable Sleep Kit (Because You Will End Up Sleeping Somewhere Weird)
My festive sleep kit now includes:
• White noise (because Grandad snores like a dying walrus)
• Portable blackout blinds
• Sleep sack
• Favourite comforter
• A “do not knock” sign to stick on random bedroom doors
One year I put my baby down in the host’s walk-in wardrobe.
Perfect darkness.
Warm.
Quiet.
Zero judgement from the cashmere coats.
Takeaway:
Take the sleep environment with you. Instant calm. Zero regrets.
5. Manage Late Nights with Strategy (aka The Holiday Hangover Cure… for Babies)
Yes, the festive season means bedtimes will slide.
Yes, you’ll tell yourself “just 10 more minutes” 27 times.
Last year, our “late bedtime” became “how is it 10:45pm and this baby is still awake and chewing a bauble?”
But we saved ourselves by doing:
🌙 Early bedtime the night before
🌙 Early bedtime the night after
🌙 Soothing, calm morning after the chaos
Takeaway:
A single late night is fine.
A run of late nights will break you faster than trying to assemble IKEA toys on Christmas Eve.
6. Build a Calm Down Ritual (After the Party Turns Your Baby Into a Disco Elf)
After any big gathering, I go full zen monk:
Lights dimmed.
Soft voices.
Gentle rocking.
Zero stimulation.
Absolute “winter sanctuary vibes.”
Because once your baby has been kissed by 14 relatives and stared directly into a flashing Rudolph nose…
They need a detox.
Takeaway:
A calm wind-down is the reset button we all need - yes, you too.
7. Give Yourself Grace (Because Festive Sleep Will NOT Be Perfect)
Here’s the truth no one tells you:
Your baby’s sleep will wobble.
Your routine will bend.
You will accidentally give your baby a nap in a noisy room where someone is singing “Fairytale of New York” off-key.
And it’s all okay.
Babies are adaptable.
One wobbly week won’t undo months of sleep progress.
You’re doing your best while carrying half the Christmas food shop, a crying baby, and the emotional weight of being “the organised one.”
You deserve a halo.
And probably a nap.
Final Word From a Tired but Cheerful Mum:
Survive the festive madness.
Protect what you can.
Laugh when it all goes sideways.
And remember:
You’re not just keeping a baby alive during Christmas…
You’re keeping a routine alive.
And that, my friend, is a Christmas miracle.
Danni x