New Year Sleep Intentions: Gentle Ways to Reset Your Child’s Bedtime After Christmas

After the buzz and brightness of December, January can feel like a deep breath out. For families, it’s a natural moment to reset, step back into routines, reclaim calm, and prioritise rest.

This slower season gives us the perfect opportunity to gently reconnect with sleep habits that help everyone feel more grounded. Not perfect, but held. Not rigid, but reassuring.

At Mind+Moon, we’re not big on pressure or strict resolutions. But we do believe in the power of small, intentional shifts, especially when it comes to sleep.

Here are Gemma's top five gentle sleep intentions to carry into the new year.

1. Rebuild a Calming Evening Rhythm

The return to routine doesn’t have to be abrupt. Instead of snapping back to a strict schedule, rebuild your bedtime flow with softness and intention.

Think of your evenings as a sequence of gentle cues: bath, book, breathing, lights low. Even 20 to 30 minutes of predictable, low-stimulation wind-down can signal safety and sleep to a child’s nervous system.

Try this: Use the Bedtime Breathwork Prompts in our Bedtime Wind-down Book or  Yoga Cards as part of your evening rhythm. They encourage children to move, breathe, and settle in ways that feel playful and calming.

2. Make the Bedroom a Sleep Sanctuary

Festive lights and extra stimulation can linger long after the holidays. Now is the time to clear the visual clutter and refresh your child’s sleep space.

Soft textures, warm lighting, and calm colours can make the bedroom feel like an exhale, a safe and soothing place to land.

Try this: Our Mind+Moon posters and wall art are designed as sleep-supportive visuals,  gentle, beautiful, and grounded in child development principles.

3. Go Screen-Free Before Bed (Where You Can)

The goal isn’t perfection, but screens before sleep can interfere with melatonin and make it harder for children to wind down.

Instead of a last cartoon, try screen-free options like dim-lit puzzles, storytelling, or guided breathing.

Try this: Our Gift Boxes for children include tactile activities and screen-free tools that soothe the senses, ideal for winding down without overstimulating.

4. Settle with Confidence (Together)

If your child has become more reliant on your presence to fall asleep, January can be a good time to gently support more independent settling.

This might look like a consistent goodnight phrase, a favourite comfort object, or a predictable “check-back” rhythm. Keep it loving and low-pressure.

Remember: You’re not training them. You’re building confidence in a new rhythm of reassurance.

5. Celebrate Small Wins

Rebuilding sleep habits takes time. Try tracking small moments of progress: an easier bedtime, fewer wake-ups, or a calmer evening overall.

This isn’t about rigid goals, but rather noticing what’s working and allowing that to guide the next step.

Try this: Create a calm bedtime journal with your child or mark a sleep success on a simple visual tracker. Tiny milestones matter.

Final Thoughts

Sleep intentions aren’t about perfection. They’re about creating space for calm connection, rest, and resilience. After the intensity of the festive season, these small steps can help your whole family feel more balanced.

And if you need gentle tools to support the process, our expert-curated gift boxes are designed to soothe overstimulated minds and make bedtime feel less like a battle and more like a bonding moment.