Insights into the wonderful word of respiratory, sleep medicine and wellness.

Christmas is crazy time of year. Especially for kids, with the thought of presents, food and a white-bearded chimney invader whipping them up into a whirlwind of excitement.This can make sleep much harder than usual. Particularly on Christmas Eve. And holiday celebrations with sleep-deprived kids is not much fun…We’re here to help. Here are five tips you can use to help your kids sleep well on the night before Christmas.1. Stick to the routineMake sure you take your kids through all the things they might normally do before bed; a bath, brushing teeth, reading a book etc. Even though it’s Christmas Eve, these familiar activities will help them wind down and know it’s time to sleep.2. Make a PlanMake sure your kids know what’s expected of them and what you’ll be doing on Christmas Eve. The anticipation of the unknown is one of the things that makes this time so exciting, so if your kids understand exactly what’s happening it will help them sleep better.3. Spend some time outsideOutdoor activities produce serotonin, making us happier and more relaxed, as well as tiring us out more generally (particularly for children). Some time outside in the evening is a great way to help your kids get ready to sleep.4. Have a technology curfewThis is a good idea more generally, but particularly on nights where sleeplessness is more of an issue (like Christmas Eve) not using screens in the lead up to bed is really important. The blue light produced by technology can delay the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, which means we take a lot longer to get to sleep.5. No late night snacks (particularly sugar)Eating late a night can make it hard to sleep more generally, but the stimulation provided by sugar is a recipe for disaster. Make sure to cut off snacks in the few hours before bedtime.We hope this advice proves useful for you these holidays, and your Christmas is all the more fun because of it.Merry Christmas, and sleep well.