Walton Holcomb, a spokesperson from The Dozy Owl has provided 5 tips below:

1: Do something active as a family on Christmas Eve:

Being active is a great way to ensure your little ones get enough sleep, as the level of exercise as well as mental stimulation will reinforce a need to sleep and recharge. Walton Holcomb stated ‘having a family outing pre Christmas is a fantastic way to bond and get in the spirit before the busy day. After an action packed day of fun your children are sure to be sleepier than usual when the time comes to tuck them into bed’.

2: Something nice to drink before bed time:

It’s not just Santa that likes a little something to drink on Christmas Eve, a number of drinks can help your child get their much needed rest before bed time – although we will leave the brandy for Santa Claus.

Cherry Juice: Cherry Juice is currently being trialled as a cure for insomnia due to the presence of melatonin and tryptophan which helps people sleep. Walton Holcomb adds that ‘Cherry Juice is a great option for children as they tend to have a sweet tooth, meaning it’ll be more enticing, not to mention the festive red colour is sure to help make this a suitable Christmas treat’.

Hot Chocolate: Not the healthiest option, but as a Christmas treat, a nice warm cup of hot chocolate at night could be just the ticket for a restful Christmas slumber. Walton Holcomb had these words of advice ‘The sleep benefits from a nice warm mug of hot chocolate are mostly psychological, a lovely relaxing warm drink can really put you in the right mental state to drift off. Although not something you should give your children regularly, as a treat at Christmas it could be the perfect way to help your child sleep’.

3: Take their mind off Christmas:

Sometimes the most effective way to get your child to doze off ahead of Christmas is to simply take their mind somewhere else to calm their excitement. Walton Holcomb said ‘Taking your child’s mind away from the festivities and onto something else can have a soothing effect, the traditional and timeless way of doing this is through a bedtime story. This distraction and slowing down of pace should help your little one drop off’.

4: Lead by example:

As a parent you should lead by example heading to bed early, emphasising the importance of a good nights’ sleep. Walton Holcomb stated ‘children will be a lot more inclined to go to bed on time if they see their parents have also gone to bed. It also helps to alleviate the feeling they are missing out on fun if you’re also in bed’.

5: Wake them up early on Christmas Eve:

If you wake up your children early the night before this allows you more time to tire them out during the day and seeing as they will likely wake up early on Christmas day, it will give them more sleep ahead of the big day. Walton Holcomb commented ‘changing your child’s schedule to wake up earlier on Christmas day can ensure your child is ready to get to bed earlier’.