The night the Three Kings come home is one of the times of the year that can cause children the most euphoria and nervousness.
So much so that even his sleep is disturbed by emotion.
Every January 5, parents want their children to rest well so that the Kings can carry out their magical mission;
however, many times it is not easy to achieve it.
“It happens the same as with the birthday, the arrival of the Pérez Mouse when a tooth falls out or with the first day of school.
These are very special moments and the minors fill their little heads with ideas,” explains Marta de Dios, psychologist and co-director of the Psico-logos center.
Children's bedtime, knowing that their gifts are about to arrive from the hand of three dream characters, overactivates their imagination with questions such as whether the Three Wise Men will be able to enter their houses without making noise;
at what time of the night will it be;
what gifts they will bring or if they will eat everything they have left.
All these thoughts, according to the expert, can make the time to go to bed lengthen due to the overexcitation they have and make it difficult for them to fall asleep.
More information
Ten stories to fall asleep and wait calmly for the Three Wise Men
For this reason, the psychologist Marta de Dios recommends several guidelines so that children sleep better the night before their Royal Majesties arrive:
Get up early on the morning of January 5, even if the children are on vacation, so that they have more sleep at night.
Have several activities scheduled for the day and that exercise, such as riding a bike, playing outside or walking, so that they are more tired in the hours before sleep.
Follow the daily routine before bed, such as picking up toys or taking a bath before dinner.
Avoid screens in the hours before going to bed so as not to increase your mental activation.
Relax before going to sleep by listening to a story in bed or having a conversation that is not about Christmas, to divert your focus from the subject.
Calm their nerves by doing some relaxation exercise, such as through deep breathing, or accompanying them for a while in the bedroom until they are calmer.
Avoid certain phrases such as "if you don't fall asleep, they won't come" or "if they see you awake, they won't leave you gifts"
,
as they generate anxiety and fear in the child, making it difficult for them to fall asleep.
Remind the little ones, up to the age of five or six, that the Three Wise Men and Santa Claus are good people who we let into the house once a year, so that they are not worried by the idea that some strangers are going to enter your home at night without being seen.
Avoid excess sugary foods, such as sweets, which also promote energy activation.
What the sleep experts say
To encourage the child to sleep as well as possible the night the Three Kings arrive, it is advisable to maintain the usual sleep routines, like any other day.
"These are special nights and, as adults, we must understand that it is normal for children to sleep less or have more awakenings," says Elena Martínez, neuropediatrician at the Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital in Madrid and coordinator of the Society's Sleep Working Group. Pediatric Neurology Spanish
The expert recommends that you enjoy time outdoors in the morning, with exposure to natural light: “At nap time, adapt it to the child's age and need for sleep.
Those over four years of age may not do it, but for those under that age it is advisable to do it, because if they do not do it, they may be more tired and irritable during the day and will end up sleeping worse at night.
There are times when the child, regardless of age, needs a nap because he has had a bad night's sleep.
In this case, it should be short: “Without exceeding 30 minutes and no later than five in the afternoon, so that it does not hinder night sleep.
Nor should we forget to avoid exciting drinks, such as those that contain caffeine, which on these designated days will cause greater emotional turmoil”.
Balancing euphoria with relaxation
Encouraging children to sleep the night the Three Kings come is not easy, but it is not impossible either.
"Ideally, it would be to find a balance between fostering and sharing with them the emotion for what is going to happen and, on the other hand, giving them the necessary peace of mind to feel relaxed and prone to sleep," says Marta Furones, a pediatrician. specialist in neuropediatrics at the General University Hospital of Villalba, in Madrid.
In the afternoon, it is convenient to relax the child's activity so that he goes to bed calmer and has less trouble falling asleep: "Especially two hours before going to sleep, the atmosphere should calm down with calm activities at home and very dim light that helps melatonin, that hormone that plays a key role in sleep, follow its rhythm properly.
Furones also advises that if a pre-sleep routine is usually done at home, such as a bath, reading books, massages or singing, it would be advisable to do it to convey the feeling of a safe and familiar environment: "Performing this routine, if it is done habitually, it allows the child's brain to anticipate that it is time to go to bed.
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