Sleeps to Christmas: A sleep tip countdown
When your child or young person is overstimulated, overtired, or overly excited, their body produces more cortisol, the “stress hormone” High cortisol levels make it harder for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep. These tips are designed to help keep cortisol levels low so your child can get the rest they need for holiday joy not holiday meltdowns.
Here are some simple, calming strategies to help your child sleep well during the festive countdown — and keep stress (and cortisol!) in check.
12 Sleeps to Christmas:
Stick to your child’s usual bedtime.
A regular sleep routine keeps your child’s body clock stable and helps prevent late night cortisol spikes that make falling asleep harder.
11 Sleeps to Christmas:
Limit screens before bed.
Screens stimulate the brain and suppress melatonin. Turning them off at least an hour before bed gives your child’s brain a chance to calm down and keeps cortisol from rising.
10 Sleeps to Christmas:
Keep a calming bedtime routine.
Predictable routines reduce stress and help your child feel safe. That comfort helps keep cortisol low and sleep hormones like melatonin high.
9 Sleeps to Christmas:
Read a gentle Christmas story.
Stories can soothe the nervous system and take your child’s mind off holiday overstimulation promoting calm and lowering stress.
8 Sleeps to Christmas:
Create a sleep-friendly environment.
A quiet, cool, and dim room helps regulate your child’s internal rhythms and lowers arousal levels essential for reducing cortisol before sleep.
7 Sleeps to Christmas:
Watch out for sugar in the evening.
Sugary treats can spike energy and trigger a stress response in the body. Avoiding them before bed helps keep blood sugar and cortisol balanced.
6 Sleeps to Christmas:
Encourage fresh air and physical activity.
Exercise and daylight help regulate cortisol naturally. Active play during the day leads to deeper, more restorative sleep at night.
5 Sleeps to Christmas:
Offer comfort and reassurance.
Feeling safe and secure reduces stress hormone production. A nightlight, soothing voice, or a familiar toy can work wonders for calming your child.
4 Sleeps to Christmas:
Use bedtime as a moment to connect.
A calm chat or cuddle gives your child emotional security, which helps reduce anxiety and keeps cortisol levels in check.
3 Sleeps to Christmas:
Help manage your child’s excitement.
Excitement and overstimulation can feel like stress to the body. Let your child express their feelings, then gently guide them toward calm.
2 Sleeps to Christmas:
Try calming techniques.
Simple practices like deep breathing or relaxing music activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells the body it’s safe helping lower cortisol.
1 Sleep to Christmas:
Keep Christmas Eve calm and cozy.
Stick with your bedtime routine, avoid overstimulating activities late in the evening, and help your child end the day feeling secure. A calm bedtime makes for magical dreams and a joyful Christmas morning.
The main thing is not to feel pressured into doing things just because everyone else is doing them,
It’s absolutely key for parents and carers to think about ways to enjoy the festive season that work for them and their families.
Good planning and small adjustments can make all the difference. Every person with autism is different, so it’s really important that there’s no pressure to do Christmas the ‘right’ way.
- Get support to take the pressure off. Wherever possible, involve your family, friends and any support services in your festive plans.
- Clear communication is key. When you talk to loved ones about how you will be celebrating, remember there may be certain things they may not fully understand. This includes the complex issue of presents – the number of them, the wrapping and unwrapping, and the expectations around how to respond.
- Use visual aids such as calendars, lists and schedules to help plan your Christmas. Try and plan for the whole break; that way, you can give yourself a couple of quiet days to recoup if needed.
- Think ahead about any sensory sensitivities that could cause you or your loved one’s distress or discomfort and what can bring relief. For example, you may want to consider ear defenders or turning off the Christmas lights at times of overload.
- Make sure there’s a quiet space to relax if someone’s feeling overwhelmed and stressed. This could be a completely Christmas-free area.
- Check with local venues about their Christmas events. Even if they don’t have specific autism-friendly times, you can ask the best time to visit when it’s quieter or less busy.