Picture of baby with 'sleeping Santa' goes viral

The photographs were taken at a mall in Indiana

The images went viral (Facebook)

It’s the time of year of goodwill to all men, women and children. Even to sleeping babies.

A photograph of a baby fast asleep on a Santa Claus inside an Indiana mall - with the man in red pretending to also be asleep - has gone viral.

"I can't believe how adorable our son's pictures with Santa came out. After falling asleep in line waiting, Santa asked us not to wake him and the outcome was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen," the boy's father, Donnie Walters, said of the images, which he posted online.

The images went viral (Facebook)

Mr Walters told Today.Com that his son, Zeke, had fallen asleep as soon as they got in line for the visit.

They were going to instead walk around the mall until the the toddler woke up, but a woman in the line instead suggested they proceed with the photograph.

“The lady behind us heard us, and she said, ‘No, you want to stay in line. This Santa takes the best sleeping baby photos’,” he said.