This week is my kids first full week of school. And what always felt like an endless morning in the summer ("how is it only 7:45?!") now seems like it's going by in double time as I try to get everyone dressed, fed, watered and brushed.
So I was eager to attend the event "Back-to-School/Back-to-Sleep" at Sleepy's Fifth Avenue store to hear what tips the Mattress Professionals had to share with us amateurs.
- Keep bedtime consistent. Try and have kids go to sleep at the same time every night, and wake-up at the same time every morning. Later bedtimes on weekends can lead to "Sunday night insomnia," for kids and adults.
- Have a bedtime routine that includes a "power down hour." About an hour before bed, put all electronics away. Especially your mobile phone. No one should be sleeping with their phone. Leave it in a different room.
- Teach kids to like sleep, and to be aware that a good night's sleep is an important part of staying healthy and being at your best during the day. Not to mention, well-rested kids tend to be less cranky.
- Exercising during the day and eating a healthy, nourishing meal about an hour before bed are two great ways to encourage better sleep at night.
- If you're an adult who has trouble sleeping, put the clock away. No good comes of staring at the clock and watching the minutes slip-by while you lie there, wide-awake.
- Drink highly-caffeinated drinks first-thing in the morning, followed by less-caffeinated drinks later in the day. If possible, avoid caffeine entirely after 2pm.
Many thanks to Dr. Breus for the great suggestions, and to Sleepy's for a fabulous event. I received a gift bag and this post serves as my entry in a contest to win a Dr. Breus bed. My opinions are my own, as are the not one, but two, very comfortable (unmade) Sleepy's beds at my house.
3 comments:
Great tips!!!
I need these. I have insomnia like a mofo these days.
Fantastic list!
My husband has been falling asleep so quickly lately - he's been doing a lot of house projects in addition to work! I usually end up reading for a while in bed - but sometimes I am too tired for that!
My son likes to do that too - flip through a book for a while and then sleep. My daughter *needs* to be read or sung to until she falls asleep. On days she doesn't nap it takes ten minutes, on days she does it takes half an hour to an hour.
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