Britain’s excited youngsters will go to bed at 8.24pm on Christmas Eve

While the excitement for Santa’s arrival will be at a maximum on Christmas Eve, the nation’s children will go to bed at 8.24pm on average, new research has revealed.

A study from the UK’s most trusted sleep brand, Silentnight, found that while 10% of kids will not go to bed until 10pm or later on Christmas Eve, the majority of the nation’s children will have their heads on their pillows much earlier than that.

The earliest to bed will be children in the East of England. Youngsters in big cities like Norwich, Peterborough and Ipswich, or towns like Luton, will go to bed at an average time of 7.50pm in preparation for the Christmas Day festivities.

Conversely, children in the South-West of England – towns and cities like Plymouth, Exeter, Bath, Bristol and Gloucester – won’t finally turn off the bedroom lights on Christmas Eve until 9.25pm on average.

The research also shows that 58% of UK children could wake up more than twice during the night on Christmas Eve, due to the excitement of the big day ahead.

To help make bedtime routines as easy as possible this Christmas, Silentnight has prepared a sleep guide for parents to help children relax and rest so they have enough energy to get through a busy Christmas Day.

Hannah Shore, Sleep Expert at Silentnight, said: “While Christmas is a magical time of year for many, and children’s excitement on Christmas Eve is often palpable, it is important that parents help their young ones get enough sleep so that they can fully enjoy Christmas Day.

“Children need an average of 10 hours sleep per night, depending on their age. Our survey reveals that many children may not get anywhere near this on Christmas Eve due to the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Day.

“It’s interesting to see some of the regional differences in bedtimes on Christmas Eve. Parents of children in the South-west might want to try and get their youngsters to bed a little earlier if possible so that when they get up bright and early on Christmas Day, so they are not over-tired.”

HANNAH SHORE’S TOP SLEEP TIPS…

Create the perfect festive sleeping environment
Creating a comfortable sleeping environment for your child will help them drift off to sleep more easily. Comfort for a child is ensuring they feel safe and secure within their environment so they can fall asleep, whether that’s a comforter, a special teddy or even a night light – all these familiar things will help them fall asleep much easier on Christmas Eve.

Watch the sugar before bed
We all know that Christmas is a time of indulgence but festive treats like selection boxes and enjoying a candy cane or two contain a lot of sugar which can have a negative impact on sleep. Set a cut off time for sugary snacks and drinks, ideally four hours before bed and make sure they don’t have any sweet treats after this.

Get out on a festive morning walk
Being in the great outdoors, especially first thing in the morning, can give you access to more natural sources of light, which is much brighter than more artificial sources of light found in the home. Gaining access to natural light on a regular basis can help regulate the sleep wake pattern and can assist children with feeling more refreshed when they wake up, along with helping them to fall asleep more easily. So, why not try and get outside this Christmas Eve for a festive Christmas morning walk with the family. It may also help with tiring the kids out!

Routine, routine, routine
This is so important to establishing a good night’s sleep and while its harder during the festive period, try and stick to your normal sleep routines as much as possible. This will help children to get to sleep easier while there’s additional excitement in the air and will help to ensure they get the hours they need.

Opt for calming night-time activities
When children are excited, they produce wake promoting hormones which can make them struggle to fall asleep, with bedtime often when excitement from the day and for the day to come can come to the surface. So, to ensure a calming environment and to help them unwind, try and distract excited children with a bedtime story, or an audio book. Most importantly, try and complete any Christmas traditions before the wind down routine begins. Activities such as leaving the carrot for Rudolf and mince pie for Santa can be hugely exciting for children, so it’s key to do this earlier to ensure it doesn’t impact their ability to sleep later on.