Kids & Company Blog

Sleep Tips for Celebrating New Year’s Eve with a Baby

It is hard to believe that 2024 is just around the corner! Where has the year gone? 

Perhaps your New Year’s Eve celebrations look different this year now that there is a baby in the picture. This doesn’t mean a snooze fest just because your family includes young children. If you’re up for a little preparation, both adults and children can have a fun-filled evening ringing in the New Year.

Here are 5 tips that can help make your New Year’s Eve celebration run more smoothly: 

Lay the Foundation:

One thing you can do to prepare for an evening of festivities is to set the foundation throughout the day. This includes sticking to your regular schedule as much as possible, with a few additional changes.

You can start by making sure your baby or toddler are up at their usual time. If you need to wake them up, then you may do so. It is great to get them outdoors for some natural light and fresh air during the morning hours. While the weather is cooler at this time of year, it’s important to head outdoors to explore and build some sleep pressure.

Contrary to what some people may think, you don't want to skip out on any naps that your child normally takes. Skipping a nap or putting your child to bed later does not equate to sleeping in or sleeping longer. Remember sleep gets sleep.

Forgoing naps or putting your child to bed later creates an overtired child, making bedtime more challenging. When your child is overtired, their body produces stress hormones that make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. You will want to ensure your child falls asleep easily so there isn't added stress when it comes to bedtime.

Child Friendly Festivity Times:

If you want your baby or toddler to participate in New Year's Eve activities, it's a good idea to start them earlier in the evening. There are many online streaming services (such as YouTube) that offer New Year's countdowns that you could participate in at a time that works for your family.

Consistent Bedtime Routine:

Your routine is one that you will want to stick to regardless of the shift in bedtime. A warm bath, massage, pajamas, a song/story, and some snuggles are a great way to wind down for sleep. The consistency of your bedtime routine will help calm your child when it comes to bedtime.

Sleep Environment:

If you’re out celebrating at someone else’s home, ensure that you can create a calming sleep environment for your child. Pack your “sleep kit” – pack and play, sound machine, sleep sack, snuggle buddy, etc. If possible, choose a sleep/bedtime location that is furthest away from your festivities. Distance plus the use of a sound machine will help your child fall asleep and stay asleep in a new setting. 

Once the children are in bed, you can go on to enjoy the rest of the evening hands-free.

While we can try to plan ahead to have an enjoyable New Year’s Eve celebration, know that things don’t always go according to plan – and that’s ok! Try to enjoy the evening, focus on your child’s well-being and be flexible.

Happy New Year!

This blog is written by our guest author, Alana Metallo, Certified Sleep Consultant from MetaSleep Consulting. MetaSleep helps families navigate sleep and live a well-rested lifestyle. Through consultation, they educate, guide, and support families about the benefits of healthy sleep, and help parents create a customized sleep routine for their children’s naps and bedtime. Kids & Company families can enjoy 15% off their Sleep Programs using code KIDCO15OFF.

Posted on: Tuesday December 19th, 2023

Posted by: Kids & Company