How to put your baby to sleep on New Year's Eve: expert advice
'31.12.2019'
Source: deti.mail.ru
Americans celebrate the New Year not as violently as former residents of the post-Soviet space. Many “our” families try to celebrate this holiday as usual - they get together with their families or have a friendly party, set a hearty table and certainly wait until midnight to meet the next year. Therefore, the question "how to put the child to bed on New Year's Eve?" may be relevant specifically for immigrants. deti.mail.ru tells how to do it.
Do I need to put the children to sleep on New Year's Eve “according to the regime” or wait for the whole family to wait for midnight? How to protect your baby from noise? Advice is given by the founder and head of the Center for Baby Sleep and Development BabySleep, mother of three children, Elena Muradova.
If you have not yet decided what time to put the baby to sleep on New Year's Eve and are worried that the noise of the feast or fireworks outside the window will wake the baby, pay attention to the following recommendations.
Tip number 1. Focus on the age of the child
Up to 4-6 months. At this age, children have not yet established a constant rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. So if the baby suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and was clearly awake, relax and have fun. This night happens once a year.
Up to 3-4 years. At this age, it is still worthwhile to put the child in the usual time for him. Biorhythms of most children are oriented towards an early rise; most likely, the child will wake up at his usual 7-8 mornings and will not get enough sleep. This is especially true for "regimen" children who no longer sleep during the day, for families in which children always get up early. The child will happily discover all the gifts in the morning under the Christmas tree. And, perhaps, he will give parents a nap for another hour, sorting out new toys.
From 4-5 years old. Do your children celebrate the New Year "in an adult way"? Then you need to provide them with 2-3 hours of daytime sleep before the holiday. If you didn’t succeed in laying down for a nap, announce the end call immediately after midnight.
5-7 years and older. The child can already sleep longer in the morning and get enough sleep after going to bed late. But even at this age it is advisable to organize at least a short daytime sleep before New Year's Eve. Even if the child does not fall asleep during the day, but simply lies quietly in the twilight and rests, this will allow him not to overwork by midnight.
Over 10-12 years old. Children will easily endure a one-time failure mode. But it is important to return to the usual daily routine by the end of the holidays so as not to start the school half-year with lack of sleep and fatigue.
If the child went to bed later than usual, expect a regimen failure and, as a result, some deterioration in his behavior. Do not worry, the children's body easily compensates for lack of sleep. Be patient and try to return to your usual rhythm as quickly as possible.
On the subject: Personal experience: what surprised me about the New Year in America
Tip number 2. Use white noise
When fireworks flare up outside the window in the city quarter and guests do not disperse until late at night, the white noise in the room of the sleeping baby can be your salvation.
White noise is an even noise background. For example, the noise of a nearby waterfall, the murmur of water pouring from a shower, the noise of a vacuum cleaner or fan.
White noise helps children sleep longer and stronger, contributes to faster falling asleep, helps to calm the baby. And on New Year's Eve, another of its properties is especially important for us: monotonous, repeating sounds are able to "cut off" the sharp noise.
Lifehacks:
- If you don’t have a special car or toy with a white noise generator, use the application on your phone or tablet. A good solution may be an air humidifier that produces a smooth and comfortable noise background.
- White noise can be used during the whole night’s sleep, observing important conditions: the volume of white noise does not exceed 50 dB (a reference to hearing is the volume of water pouring out of the shower or heavy rain outside the window).
- The source of white noise should be no closer than a meter from the place where the child is sleeping. But on New Year's Eve - and no further than 1 meter.
- Is white noise a guarantee that the baby does not wake up from extraneous sounds? Not. Much will depend on the individual characteristics of the child’s sleep, his age and the will of the incident (what phase of the sleep will cause extraneous noise).
- For example, in the deep sleep stage, no noise is terrible. The duration of the stages of sleep is not constant, and it is impossible to accurately calculate what time the child needs to be put so that midnight falls on the time of deep sleep.
Tip number 3. Darken windows as much as possible
Dense curtains are very helpful when it is difficult for a child to fall asleep from the light of street lamps, headlights of cars passing by the house, or morning light. Perhaps, on New Year's Eve, there will be bright fireworks and luminous windows in the houses opposite your window. Blackout curtains will hide from the child all this nightly fun. New Year's Eve will be an ordinary night for him. And you can enjoy the atmosphere of the holiday.
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Tip number 4. Prepare your child in advance
If the baby already understands speech, knows how to talk, tell him in advance about the upcoming celebration. Explain that there will be guests this night, it may be noisy. If the child wakes up at night from the noise, he will not be scared, because the parents warned that this could happen.
