How to get the best sleep for you and your baby this Christmas

No one can deny the hustle and bustle that Christmas time brings. From seeing family and friends to organising the festivities, Christmas is a busy time filled with things to do and people to see. Add a baby into the mix, and it can all get a lot more hectic. 

Whether you’re enjoying your baby’s first Christmas or a toddler engrossed in the festive spirit, there’s no doubt that things can get overwhelming. Caring for a young child has its own set of demands, and added to the seemingly endless list of things to do over the festive period, there can be many a sleepless night. 

Knowing the struggle, our experts at bloss have banded together to give you some top tips to help you and your little one sleep better over Christmas, along with some products which can help.

Tips to help you and your baby sleep better

When it comes to sleep, there’s no one size fits all. We need to emphasise that these tips might not lead to 12 hours of sleep every night, but a combination of these methods might help you and your little one to sleep better than before this festive period.

Build a consistent bedtime routine, and follow it as much as possible

Your bedtime routine with your little one can be a really important factor for how well you both sleep. If the hours before your little one’s bedtime are filled with fun, games, and hyperactivity, then they will likely go to bed overstimulated, making it much more difficult to both fall asleep and stay asleep. 

On the run up to bedtime, try to ensure a calm atmosphere is maintained, with little fuss. Too much playtime in the bath before bed will wake them up, not help them settle down. Whether you choose cuddling, storytime, playing quiet music or anything else is up to you, but remember this can’t carry on all night, or there will be no sleep!

There’s no correct bedtime routine: you just have to find what works for you and your child, while keeping in mind things such as overstimulation and promoting calmness. 

It’s not just about building a bedtime routine; it’s about following this routine with your little one to the very best of your ability. We know that sometimes it just isn’t possible to be entirely consistent, but do what you can.

When you follow a routine consistently, your little one can start to expect what their bedtime looks like. A consistent bedtime routine helps children to feel safe and secure, and also teaches your little one to be able to fall asleep on their own.

As bloss expert Alison Scott-Wright – also known as the Magic Sleep Fairy – explains: “Introducing a bed and night time routine is hugely important for your little one. It will help them quickly understand the difference between day and night, and assist in them developing positive associations to bedtime and sleep.

A bath, story, milk feed and cuddles at the end of each day will signal to your baby that nighttime is approaching. They will quickly begin to understand that going to bed and sleeping at night is a positive and necessary occurrence, and one which they will accept as the norm for years to come.”

Try to make sure your child falls asleep in their bed or cot

If you can avoid your little one falling asleep in the front room or elsewhere aside from their bed or cot, make every effort to. This piece of advice sits nicely with creating a consistent bedtime routine. If your child usually sleeps in a bed but falls asleep on the settee, then their routine becomes disrupted.

Wherever possible, you should try to put your little one to bed as they are beginning to fall asleep, but when they are still awake. This prompts them to start to associate their bed or cot with the process of falling asleep, and it becomes a part of their own bedtime routine. 

Best products to help you and your baby sleep

1. M&S Striped Present Sleepsuit 3-6 M Cream Mix

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593482011 from Ocado, the online supermarket

Changing your little one from their daytime clothes to night-appropriate clothing is a significant part of the bedtime routine for any child. It’s a great indicator to your little one that things need to calm down and the time for playing and festive fun is over until tomorrow. 

It’s really important to make sure that what your baby sleeps in is comfortable, and won’t be irritating to their sensitive skin. This Christmas-themed M&S Striped Present Sleepsuit is made using responsibly sourced cotton, so you can be sure that the quality is up to the mark. Let your little one be snug as a bug in a festive striped sleepsuit with simple popper fastenings down the front and on the legs for easier changing.

We asked bloss expert and Sleep Consultant Sophie Wilkinson for her recommendations: “When looking at your baby’s sleep, it is imperative that they are cosy and comfy. Not too hot or cold and dressed comfortably with no skin irritation from rough or poor quality material.

An ideal room temperature should be around 18-20°C to support your baby’s sleep and prevent overheating. For babies, I absolutely love and recommend a sleepsuit to keep them feeling cosy and at a constant temperature throughout the night. Just as adults do, getting ready for bed by putting on our comfy sleepwear readies us for sleep. This absolutely applies to babies and children too, finishing the bedtime routine and preparing your baby for sleep.

The perfect sleepsuit would have easy access poppers on the legs to assist with quick night time nappy changes. A simple popper with a contrast popper will help align the sleepsuit and is a must for changing nappies in a dim light to make sure this process is quick and easy. This will prevent overstimulation of your baby and prevent them from thinking it’s wake up time!

Having a sleepsuit that can be put in the tumble dryer is a firm must for me personally also! For this time of year, what’s better than a Christmas themed sleepsuit with all the features added as suggested above. This Striped Present Sleepsuit from M&S is beautifully soft and festive; I love love love this!”

2. Pampers Baby Dry Character Pants S6, 22 Nappy Pants

Now £5.50 down from £9.00

Pampers Baby-Dry Superhero Nappy Pants, Size 6 (15kg+) | Ocado

One of the easiest ways to disturb a little one’s sleep is a leak in the night. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can lead to their precious skin becoming irritated. These Pampers Baby Dry Nappy Pants offer the ultimate leakage protection throughout the night with their 360° fit.

As well as being good for your little one, they also make your life easier by being super easy to change. Plus, the DC superheroes design adds a touch of fun to night time nappies.

As the Magic Sleep Fairy explains, “Nappy changing can be quite a challenge for many parents, especially those who have little ones that just don’t like the experience! It can be almost impossible to change some of these older babies and toddlers who will wriggle, struggle, kick out and flip over the minute you try to lie them down to change their nappy.

These Pampers Nappy-Pants are so much easier to use then the usual nappies with the sticky tabs, as you can get these nappy-pants on while the child is standing. They will stay more securely in place as the child can’t take them off so easily. The nappy-pant is hugely helpful at bedtime and during the night, as the toddler cannot undo or take it off. Therefore once the nappy-pant is in place, the rest of bedtime will be much easier to manage without the child constantly trying to undo the tabs on a usual nappy.

Some children have also been known to rid themselves of their night attire and nappy if they happen to wake during the night. But with the nappy-pant securely in place, it prevents them from doing so and makes settling the child back to sleep so much easier – without you having to battle to put on a new nappy!”

3. WaterWipes Baby Wipes Sensitive Newborn Biodegradable 720 Wipes (12×60)

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WaterWipes Sensitive Newborn Biodegradable Wipes, Multipack | Ocado

Speed up your baby and newborn night time routine using wipes that are kind to your little one’s skin, as well as the planet. The WaterWipes Baby Wipes Sensitive Newborn are the only baby wipe to be approved by Allergy UK, registered with The Vegan Society and awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance.

Made from 100% renewable plant fibres and biodegradable, the WaterWipes Baby Wipes Sensitive Newborn are suitable for sensitive, new-born and premature baby’s skin. Highly recommended by midwives and other healthcare professionals, the wipes are dermatologically approved and accredited by the Skin Health Alliance.

Baby Sleep Consultant Alison shares her thoughts: “These WaterWipes are perfect to assist with bedtime and night time nappy changes, and eradicate the need for pots of water and cotton wool balls. 

During night time and using only a dim light, it’s so easy to spill or knock over the pots of water. Plus, when wiping the nappy area with cotton wool, strands of cotton can easily get left behind and cause irritation to the sensitive areas. Using these WaterWipes makes night time nappy changing so much quicker and more manageable. All while still being gentle on your baby’s skin and being kind to the environment.”

4. Weleda Baby Natural Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash 200 ML

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37694011 from Ocado, the online supermarket

Many bedtime routines involve bathtime for your little ones. Cut out a step by using a gentle  two in one body wash and shampoo. Formulated with beneficial ingredients like extract of organic calendula, Weleda Baby Natural Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash helps to gently lift dirt, leaving skin soft, hair easy to comb, and your baby’s own scent intact. 

It’s important for bathtime in the evening to be a calming experience that gets your little one ready to start getting ready for bedtime. That’s why the shampoo and body wash uses sweet almond oil to prevent dryness, with the soft lather not stinging your little one’s eyes. No tears, no tugs, no roughness, just a clean, sweet-smelling, wriggly baby.

Olivia Mulcahy from The Dream House shares her advice: “I always recommend to my clients the importance of a good pre-sleep routine at both nap and night times. This routine becomes a familiar and calming start to the bed routine. It doesn’t need to be long and drawn out, especially at nap times, it just needs to be a 5-minute quick calm down before sleep.

A pre-sleep routine can look like this: going into their sleep space and closing the curtains, turning on a small night light, reading a book or singing a song, white noise on, then into their sleeping bag and into their sleep space.

At night-time this routine can be a little longer with the addition of a massage or bath which can be a lovely bonding time between the parents and their child. Weleda Baby Natural Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash is a gentle wash for the whole family. Even better, it’s two-in-one and gentle on sensitive skin so parents can be safe in the knowledge that they are using a reliable product on their child’s skin.”

5. Huggies Pull-Ups Trainers Night, Boy, Nappy Size 5-6+, 18 BIG KID (18 )

Now Half Price 

Huggies Pull-Ups Trainers Night Boys Nappy Pants, Size 5-6+ (2-4 Yrs) | Ocado

It’s just as important for your slightly older ones to feel comfortable throughout the night, and secure against leaks. The Huggies Pull-Ups Trainers Night features an extra absorbent layer for all night protection, allowing your child to have consistency during their potty training journey.

Huggies Pull-Ups Trainers Night have a super soft and stretchy 360˚ waistband that helps little ones to practise pulling pants up and down all by themselves. As well as this, there is a wetness indicator that fades when wet, signalling if an accident has happened overnight.

6. Pura Eco Nappies, Size 1 (2-5kg) (22)

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Pura Eco Nappies, Size 1 (2-5kg) | Ocado

Sometimes for an easy bedtime routine, convenience is key. Disposable nappies are great for a quick solution, but usually aren’t great for the planet. That’s where Pura Eco Nappies step in; Pura’s high-performance nappies are approved by dermatologists to be gentle on your baby’s skin, while also being awarded the EU Ecolabel – meaning they meet the highest environmental standards.

The nappies are enhanced with soft organic cotton and contain 0% chlorine, perfumes and allergens. Pura nappies feature a super-absorbent, FSC-certified, plant fibre inner core and are produced with 100% renewable electricity and no production waste. Pura’s nappies cost less than many eco brands, meaning you can sustainably take care of your little one, for less.

7. DryNites 3-5yrs Pyjama Pants

Now £4.25

Huggies DryNites Girls Pyjama Pants for Bed Wetting Age 3-5 Years, 10 Pants | Ocado

There’s absolutely no denying that bed wetting can disrupt both your child’s sleep, and your own. DryNites® Pyjama Pants are specifically designed to be worn under pyjamas discreetly, and they look and feel just like real underwear to help manage the bedwetting phase. Whether at home or nights away, DryNites Pyjama Pants take the stress out of accidents to allow kids to just be kids. 

They have stretchy sides, a softer feel for a comfortable fit, and are made with discreet material to limit noise underneath pyjamas. The DryNites® Pyjama Pant are made with quiet materials for less rustle, and designed to fit below the waist for maximum discretion under pyjamas.

8. AVEENO® Baby Daily Care Hair & Body Wash 250ml

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357310011 from Ocado, the online supermarket

We’ve spoken about the importance of a consistent bedtime routine that is simple and without too much fuss. Using a two-in-one hair and body wash for your child is a good way to save some extra time, while still making sure that your little one is clean. 

The AVEENO® Baby Daily Care Hair & Body Wash gently cleanses and nourishes your baby’s delicate hair and skin from top to toe. It leaves your little one’s skin feeling moisturised. This gentle formula is designed to preserve baby skin’s protective barrier and microbiome, and is both Paediatrician and Dermatologist tested.

We asked bloss expert and dermatologist Dr Natalya Fox for her recommendations: “Nourishing and maintaining healthy baby skin is a key part of helping to promote a comfortable and beneficial night’s sleep, to reduce the chance of them being disturbed or unsettled by dry, itchy skin.

When babies are born, they are covered in a protective thick, waxy layer called ‘vernix’ as well as fine, soft hair called ‘lanugo’ that may cover most of their body. As the days and weeks pass, this disappears, and their underlying skin remains more sensitive and delicate than adults. Babies and infants can commonly be prone to dry skin and eczema, so finding the right supportive skin care routine is key to promoting a good night’s sleep.

It is important to use moisturising, delicate products to avoid irritating or over-drying their skin in order to preserve their natural protective barrier and microbiome, and promote its healthy development. Aveeno products are specifically designed to promote and nourish natural baby skin development, without stripping the skin of its own protective barrier, and allowing it to flourish.”

9. Bath & Shower – Berry Smoothie

Buy two and get the cheapest item free

Organic Children Berry Smoothie Bath & Shower Wash | Ocado

It’s essential that any products you choose to use on your little one’s precious skin are natural as well as gentle. This ‘berry smoothie’ bubble bath and body wash is certified organic, and uses the natural goodness of aloe vera, yucca and chamomile – leaving delicate young skin beautifully soft and nurtured.

The product uses essential oils of raspberry, apple and vanilla to create a sweet and fruity aroma which smells good enough to eat. The Organic Children Berry Smoothie Bath & Shower is made without petrochemicals, methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone, synthetic colourants and preservatives, to bring you the purest bath & shower that nature can offer.

10. Calpol Vapour Plug & Nightlight, Releasing Lavender & Chamomile Vapours

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Calpol Vapour Plug & Nightlight + 3 Refill Pads Lavender & Chamomile | Ocado

The Calpol Vapour Plug & Nightlight contains a blend of aromatic oils including lavender, chamomile, menthol, camphor and eucalyptus. These oils help to soothe and comfort your child at night time while helping to ease their breathing. The non-medicated aromatic vapours provide soothing nighttime comfort for your child.

Offering up to eight hours of aroma release, the Calpol Vapour Plug & Nightlight is perfect to help your little one wind down for the night, and sets a great tone that those scents and that light means it’s time to sleep. The easy-to-replace refill pads last up to eight hours, and the nightlight is activated at night when your lights go out.

As Sleep Consultant Olivia Mulcahy from The Dream House explains, “Now we are heading into winter, our children are more likely to be getting blocked noses and colds. This can make sleeping at both naps and night time a little harder. Babies in the first few months breathe through their noses and not their mouths, so if their nose is blocked they will find sleep more of a struggle. There are a few things we can do to help our children at these times.

Let them nap a little longer in the day, whether that is in their own sleep space, contact napping or on the move. Sleep really helps children to recover more quickly from illness. A warm mist humidifier can help to keep the mucus in the nose moist which can be useful if they have a cough.

A Calpol Vapour Plug & Nightlight releases essential oils which creates not only a calming effect on your child but also helps to keep their airways clearer.”

11. Halo SleepSack 1.5 TOG 100% Cotton Midnight Moons Blue Swaddle, 0-6 Months

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575643011 from Ocado, the online supermarket

Your baby feeling safe and secure is absolutely key in helping them to sleep better at night. The HALO® SleepSack® swaddle is the only three-way swaddle that adjusts to fit your baby’s sleep style. You can swaddle with arms in, hands-to-face, or with one or both arms out to ensure your little one’s best sleep. 

With adjustable fasteners for a perfect fit, it nestles your baby like a soft blanket without the risk of sleep-related dangers – meaning your baby can sleep both comfortably and safely, and you can rest without worry. 

We asked bloss expert Sophie Wilkinson from Baby Sleep the Night for her advice: “Swaddling your baby is a perfect way to help your baby feel safe and secure, emulating that feeling of being in the womb. It helps to prevent the Moro reflex (startle reflex) from waking your baby during their sleep. I would advise swaddling your baby from birth, gradually moving to a sleeping bag/sack as they grow.

A perfect swaddle should be adaptable to your baby as they grow or develop their gross motor skills and it should not become loose or unfasten during sleep. Not only to give you peace of mind that your baby remains comfy, but that they are safe while sleeping. Babies mustn’t be too tightly swaddled so as not to restrict hip movement.

Often families abruptly stop using a swaddle and transfer to a different sleeping bag. This results in buying two products within a short space of time. But if you choose a swaddle that turns into a sleeping bag as your baby gets older then this would be the most beneficial way to support your baby’s sleep and save the pennies!

When you start to notice your baby becoming more mobile and wanting to move about more, then it’s likely they are ready to move away from being swaddled. I suggest choosing a swaddle whereby you can remove one arm for a week and then follow with the other arm, with the aim that your baby is no longer swaddled and instead gradually transferred into a sleeping bag. Choose a product that is a swaddle and sleep sack all in one, like this Halo sleepsack.”

12. Bonds Zip Wondersuit Dreaming Sky Argentina 3-6 Months 

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Bonds Zip Wondersuit Dreaming Sky Argentina, 0-18 Months | Ocado

Your little one needs to have sleep appropriate clothing for nighttime. The Zip Wondersuit is made from comfy stretchy cotton, and the soft, cosy and stretchy fabric moves with your precious one. The two-way zip feature means you can change busy babies fast before bedtime.

As Jenna Wilson from Little Dreams Consulting explains, “Once your little one is warm and dry, after their bath, they can have a little massage. Then pop them in a sleepsuit which is comfortable but easy to access before their bedtime feed. Although Bonds is an Australian brand, we were lucky enough to be sent Bonds sleepsuits for our children from our Australian friends, so we used them with all three of our children!

The Bonds Zip Wondersuit is made from comfy stretchy cotton. The soft, cosy and stretchy fabric moves with your little one to allow overnight movement which is so important, especially as they get older. The two-way zip means you can change busy babies fast before bedtime or allows a quick middle of the night change!

Their optional foot covers also means you can tickle little feet to keep your little one awake, if you need to, for feeds before you read them a short story and pop them into their cot to drift off to sleep.”

13. M&S BT Duck Hooded Towel – one size

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M&S BT Duck Hooded Towel, 1SIZE | Ocado

We know how important bathtime can be to set the tone of the evening for your little one, but they can’t go to bed wet! This cotton-rich hooded towel is great for drying them off after a splash in the bath. Rest assured that the M&S BT Duck Hooded Towel is made using responsibly sourced cotton.

We asked Jenna for her thoughts: “A bedtime routine is such an important step for your little one, because almost all children thrive on consistency and love to know what is coming next.

Part of a good bedtime routine, especially for smaller children, is a bath – it is such a different experience to the rest of the day, so they really start to understand that a bath means bedtime is near. Also, from a biological perspective, getting out of the bath can reduce their core body temperature which is just what their little body needs to start preparing to sleep. It can also help them fall asleep a little more quickly which is a parenting win!

To ensure your little one does not get too chilly after their bath, though, we suggest a towel which can cover their heads too. The M&S BT Duck Hooded Towel is great for drying your little one off after a splash in the bath but keeping them nice and snug too. You can also sleep easily, knowing that the M&S BT Duck Hooded Towel is made using responsibly sourced cotton.”

For more Christmas gifting inspiration, browse baby gifts at Ocado.

Get 25% off your first order (minimum spend £60) and three months of unlimited free delivery with code: VOU6344229