Excitable kids will wake up at 6.44am on Christmas Day
Parents of young children will be getting a rude awakening on Christmas Day, as their excitable kids get up at 6.44am.
Research revealed millions of parents will be getting up early to tend to their little ones.
Mums and dads of younger kids will be up earliest, with the average child aged two to six being wide awake by 6.45am.
Unsurprisingly, teenagers are least likely to be up before their parents – with just 15 per cent waking up before 7am.
What’s more, one in six parents will be woken up in the night by their children unable to sleep due to the looming excitement of the following morning.
Joy Richards, sleep specialist at Happy Beds, which commissioned the study of 2,000 parents, said: “It’s understandable that young children will be buzzing with energy this Christmas Eve ahead of the gifts, food and celebration of Christmas Day.
“Parents will need to consider taking action if they want to ensure they get a restless, undisturbed night of sleep.
“Try limiting your child’s snacking before bedtime to avoid any sugar highs, and even a long walk or a relaxing Christmas film can ensure your kids are nodding off and staying asleep the whole night.”
The study also found one third of parents will find getting their restless kids to sleep on Christmas Eve a tough task.
And one in five will be putting their kids to bed earlier in order to try and get their racing minds to settle.
In an effort to tire out their children, one in five parents will stop them eating any sugary treats a few hours before bed.
Twenty two per cent limit the amount of time their kids spend on their phones and devices to help them nod off.
And one in six will intentionally put on a dull Christmas movie to help them calm down before bedtime.
For kids who still remain wide awake despite these efforts, half of parents have resorted to scare tactics, saying “Santa won’t come if you’re still awake.”
And 16 per cent have said their child will get added to Santa’s Naughty List if they don’t go to bed.
For parents who are woken at the crack of dawn by their kids, 37 per cent will diligently take them downstairs to kick off Christmas early.
One in six will attempt to stall them with a present from their stocking, while one in four are Scrooges and get their kids to go back to bed to stall them for as long as possible.
And despite the 6.44am wake-up call, presents will remain unopened until 8.48am on average, meaning excited kids will have to wait.
The most common excuse given by restless children for being unable to fall asleep on Christmas Eve is they are too excited, and three in 10 want to be awake for when Santa comes down the chimney.
Eighteen per cent want to leave their rooms to go and look at the Christmas tree, and one in eight think an early gift from their stocking would help to calm them down.
Parents reckon it takes an average of 33 minutes for their child to nod off when they have finally convinced them to go to bed.
Though they will still wait over an hour before sneaking around the house to gather up the presents to put under the tree.
Two thirds of families who took part in the survey, conducted by OnePoll, said they observe the tradition of hanging a Christmas stocking.
Other traditions British families are most likely to observe on Christmas Eve include watching a Christmas film, sprinkling reindeer dust and tracking Santa on the NORAD Santa Tracker.
Joy Richards added: “Christmas Day is one of the most enjoyable, but also the most hectic, days of the year, and feeling well-rested and ready to tackle all the festivities can make the difference between one to remember – and one you nap through entirely.”
* Happy Beds’ Christmas Wake Up Calculator uses the research data to show parents what time their little ones will wake on Christmas morning.
TOP REASONS WHY KIDS CAN’T SLEEP AT CHRISTMAS
I want to see Santa 33 per cent
I want something from my stocking 13
I want a present from under the tree 19
I want some Christmas sweets 13
I want some Christmas food 12
I’m just too excited to sleep 37
I want to see the reindeer 18
I want to see if Santa has had his mince pie 24
HOW PARENTS HELP CHILDREN TO SLEEP ON CHRISTMAS EVE
Read them a story 40 per cent
Watch Christmas TV or a film 17
Stop them eating sugary snacks 22
Stop them using their devices / tech 22
Do something active in the day to wear them out 23
Make them warm milk 10
None of the above 29