Slumber Post-Holiday Shuffle

By Maggie Moore

Self-reflection seems to go hand-in-hand with transitioning from the end of one year to the beginning of the next. Maybe your diet and fitness got off track, or perhaps you want to read more over the course of the new year. Whatever the case, it is always a time of change. Chances are, If you are reading this, your little one’s sleep got off track during the holiday hustle and bustle, or maybe it was never on track to begin with.

Don’t fret, each day brings with it a new chance to start over and get everything back to the pre-holiday routine, or even the opportunity to establish a routine for the first time.

80/20 Rule (for Those Who Got Off Track)

If your little one was sleeping well, but their naps and night sleep got off track with holiday travel and family time, then it’s time to go back to the basics. If before the holidays your little one had a solid schedule, routine and independent sleep, then the short off-track holiday period shouldn’t have too much of an impact. This is when we utilize the 80/20 rule - if 80% of the time they are solid in their sleep schedule, routine, and independent sleep, then the 20% of time they are not experiencing these three key points shouldn’t have much of an impact.

My recommendation is to buckle down now that the holiday hustle and bustle have died down. Get back to ensuring you are nailing your little one’s naps, have a solid nap and bed time routine that does not end in a feeding, and have your little one self-soothe.

If you have previously sleep trained and your babe needs a refresher in self-soothing, go back to the method you used the first go-around. The Zipadee-Zip is great for self soothing. Check them out here. Remember, any child can learn to fall asleep independently, but if they are not on the correct schedule (both number of naps and wake-times) then there may be significantly more crying.

Beginning the Year with Moore Sleep

Maybe you fall into the latter category and your little one’s sleep was never on track to begin with, but you would like to start off with a more restful 2019.

When thinking about your little one’s sleep there are two main pillars to consider when trying to solve your sleep challenges.

The first is finding a way to teach your little one to fall asleep independently. By this, I mean removing all sleep crutches (feeding to sleep, rocking to sleep, or any other way you aid in your little’s sleep) if they are past 16-weeks adjusted age. Instead, you want to opt for teaching them to put themselves to sleep so that when they wake in the middle of the night they are able to connect their sleep cycles unassisted from their parents. This doesn’t mean Cry it Out, but it does mean finding a method that your family feels most comfortable with and opting to implement it.

The second pillar is the schedule portion. You want to make sure their waketimes are not too long and not too short, that they are getting the right number of naps each day, that naps are ending at an appropriate time each day, and that bedtime is the correct time. Remember, bedtime should be a moving target dependent on the quality and duration of that day’s naps. Learn all about schedules in the guides available on my website – www.getmooresleep.com.

It is never too late to get your little one better rested. If your family has gotten off track during the holidays, simply go back to the basics. Consistency is really the best recipe to getting your family Moore Sleep in 2019.

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Maggie Moore is the Founder and Head Sleeper at Moore Sleep. She is a certified pediatric sleep consultant through the Family Sleep Institute, which means her sole focus and objective is getting your baby on a healthy sleep schedule so the whole family can get the sleep they need.

Like many parents, Maggie and her husband struggled with getting their son on a healthy sleep schedule and he was unable to fall asleep independently. As a result, her family was losing precious sleep every night.

Maggie became a firm believer when, shortly after hiring a certified pediatric sleep consultant, her son began sleeping independently at bed and nap times. It was a turning point that resulted in not only restful nights, but waking up fully rested with the energy to face the day. Maggie knew right away she wanted to become a certified consultant herself so she could help other families struggling to get the sleep they need.

Maggie and her family reside in Southern Indiana (near Louisville, KY). She received her bachelors in Journalism and a second concentration in Communications & Culture from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Follow Maggie on Facebook and Instagram.