It’s Official: The Average Child Will Wake Up at 6:44am on Christmas Morning

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Trees are up, lights are shining, and many an adult are probably feeling a little too merry. Most of us are starting to feel festive and, if you have little ones, you’ll know they can get very excited this time of year.

Come Christmas Eve it can be hard to get them to sleep, plus they’re likely to wake super early, meaning you have a tight window to don your red suit and munch that mince pie – if you get my drift?

With that in mind, we wondered how long children sleep at Christmas, and what the average time to wake up on Christmas is. So, we turned to you guys with a survey of 2,000 people. Here is what we found…

 

What Time Do You Get Up on Christmas Morning?

According to our research, the average time to wake up on Christmas morning is 6:44am. However, despite the pre-seven wake-up call, on average, presents remain unopened until 8:48am.

Parents of younger kids will be up earliest, with the average child aged two to six being wide awake by quarter to seven. Unsurprisingly, teenagers are least likely to be up before their parents – just 15% will wake up before 7am.

37% of parents will take their children downstairs to kick-off Christmas early, but one in six will attempt to stall them with a stocking. One in four are Scrooges and send their children back to bed for as long as possible.

 

How Do You Get Kids to Sleep at Christmas?

We found that a third of parents find getting their restless kids to sleep on Christmas Eve a tough task, so one in five will be putting their kids to sleep earlier to try and get their racing minds to settle.

In an effort to tire out their sprogs, our survey found one in five parents will also stop their kids eating any sugary treats a few hours before bed, whereas 22% will limit the amount of time their kids spend on their phones and devices to help them sleep. Lastly, 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, one in two parents have resorted to scare tactics, saying “Santa won’t come if you’re still awake.” And 16% have said their child will get added to Santa’s ‘naughty list’, if they don’t go to bed.

Joy Richards, our Sleep Specialist here at Happy Beds, has commented:

“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 film can ensure your kids nod off. Of course, a good mattress will also ensure they’re comfortable and have a supported sleep.”

The most common excuse given by restless children is being unable to fall asleep because they’re too excited, and three in ten want to be awake for when Santa comes down the chimney. 18% of parents said their children want to leave their rooms to go and look at the Christmas tree, and one in eight parents think an early gift from their kids’ stockings would help them settle quicker.

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.

Of course, there is no guarantee that once they are asleep, they won’t wake. In fact, one in six parents told us that they’ll be woken by one of their children on Christmas night.

Joy adds:

“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 a Christmas to remember – and one you nap through entirely!”

 

 

What Are Some Common Christmas Eve Traditions?

Two thirds of families who took part in the survey, conducted by OnePoll, observe the tradition of hanging a Christmas stocking, though most think kids stop observing the tradition by the time they are 14 years old.

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.

 

What Time Should You Wake Up on Christmas Morning?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could somehow predict what time your child will wake up on Christmas morning? Well, we’ve crunched the numbers and used our survey data to do just that.

You can go with the average 6:44am or… discover our Christmas Wake Up Calculator and find out what time your child will stir this December 25th – all we need is their age, whether they have siblings, and their location.

Read more:

Keep Your Guests Comfortable This Christmas with Temporary Beds

Top Tips for Getting the Kids to Kip on Christmas Eve

7 Ways to Decorate Your Bedroom for Christmas