| The holiday season is a wonderful time for family, | | | | stick to your home time.* Try to keep things as |
| friends | | | | close to home as you can. So if |
| and good cheer, but all the visiting can leave us | | | | your child has their own room at home, then |
| feeling a | | | | they may need |
| bit frazzled by the time it's over. It can also play | | | | their own room when they travel as well. (Our |
| havoc | | | | boys have |
| on our children's sleep schedules and turn a | | | | spent the odd night in a laundry room here and |
| once-sleeping | | | | there!) At |
| baby into an overtired zombie!Here are a few | | | | the very least they should have their own bed |
| tips to help you keep things on track for the | | | | and not be |
| holidays:* The biggest pitfall people run into when | | | | sharing one with you IF that is not what they |
| they travel is | | | | are use to. A |
| over-scheduling themselves. There are so many | | | | few nights in bed with you and you could find |
| people and | | | | yourself "bed |
| places to visit that after a few days your baby | | | | sharing" with your child for weeks or even |
| has missed | | | | months to come.* Make sure you bring all the |
| most of their naps and bedtime has been hours | | | | comforts of home such as your |
| earlier or | | | | child's favorite blankets, pillows, and stuffed sleep |
| later than your little one is used to. Some children | | | | toys. |
| handle | | | | This will make your child comfortable and keep |
| this upset to their schedule pretty well and make | | | | the bedtime |
| due with | | | | environment as close to home as possible.* |
| "car naps" and late bedtimes, but others can | | | | Some children test the boundaries when they are |
| have a compete | | | | somewhere |
| meltdown within just a couple of days!I travel | | | | new. "Maybe the rules are not the same at |
| with my children all the time, but there is one | | | | Grandma's house," |
| "golden rule" that I never break -- and that is I | | | | they think to themselves.This may mean that |
| keep to | | | | there is some crying or protesting at |
| their sleep schedules no matter what. If Aunt | | | | bedtime, which may be unusual for your child. |
| Betty wants to | | | | Don't panic, |
| see the kids, then she needs to come at a time | | | | it's just a test! Go ahead and check on them a |
| when they are | | | | few times to |
| not napping or in bed. It's as simple as that. Now | | | | reassure them that everything is fine and it's just |
| of | | | | time to |
| course, the odd family member might snicker at | | | | sleep, but DON'T start bending your sleep rules |
| my | | | | too much! A |
| inflexibility, but I know that my children's sleep | | | | night or two of "testing the waters" and finding |
| needs | | | | that the |
| have to be a top priority -- and I protect it | | | | rules haven't changed should reassure your little |
| everywhere we | | | | one, and |
| go.* Time changes can be a bit of a problem | | | | the result should be a pleasant's night sleep for |
| when traveling. If | | | | everyone.Happy trails, bon voyage, and sleep |
| you are going away for more than 3 days, then | | | | well!Dana Obleman ( is a professional infant sleep |
| it's better to | | | | consultant and is the author of "The Sleep Sense |
| adjust your child's schedule to the new time as | | | | Program: Proven Strategies For Teaching Your |
| quickly as | | | | Child To Sleep Through The Night." She has helped |
| possible. They may need an extra nap here and | | | | thousands of families develop a gentle, |
| there to | | | | step-by-step sleep program for their children, and |
| compensate, but adjusting quickly is better than | | | | is able to guarantee the success of her methods. |
| trying to | | | | |