This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Better Sleep Council.
I remember when John moved over to a toddler bed and the struggle it was to get him to sleep in his bed all night long with this newfound freedom from his crib. What it really came down to was getting him to sleep quickly and stay that way. Fast forward a few years, add another kiddo into the mix and I feel like I have this down. My kids sleep in their beds… ALL NIGHT long and it’s amazing. So amazing that it has me wanting to sleep like a kid again, so I’m taking a note out of my own playbook. May is Better Sleep Month and I’m getting a few things sorted out so that I can get back the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. I imagine you are asking what is Better Sleep Month? Well it’s a month-long holiday in May that is celebrated by the sleep industry. It aims to raise awareness about the benefits of better sleep and how poor sleep can disrupt our lives. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Better Sleep Council.
Have a routine
Every night our kids have dinner, play outside (wear them out good), have a snack, and head to the bath. Yes, you heard that right – my kids take a bath every single night. Some days they need it others, meh, but it’s more about the routine. They wear the same style of jammies year-round, and before bed we read several story books together. Followed by snuggles, hugs and kisses. In general, this all takes place on a timetable that applies majority of the time with a few exceptions for life. Seems amazing right, but as adults we rush through things, stay up later than we should and try to push ourselves to survive on caffeine and just a few hours of sleep.
So, I’m falling into a routine much like my kids. I eat dinner with the family. Finish up chores while they are playing, and when I’m finished putting them to bed I take a bath myself. I love to use a relaxing mix of bath salts (lavender is always a winner) and then after my bath I like to read a few pages of my current best-seller or most likely parenting/homeschooling book. The crucial part of this routine is not to get sucked into a good book and spend hours reading.
Get comfortable
We keep our house at the same temperature pretty much year round. This allows the us to wear the same style of pajamas every night falling in with that great routine. Make sure that you are sleeping on a mattress that isn’t too old or too worn. Make sure your pillow is comfortable and my biggest thing is darkness. The kids have blackout curtains in their rooms and that helps for sure. I have a large window in my room that doesn’t have coverage and while I love the idea of seeing the moon though it in the middle of the night, it also lights up my room making it hard to sleep. I am all about a sleep mask that is soft and comfortable to help with keeping things nice and dark.
Try for 8 hours
There is all kinds of science out there that tells us that we need adequate sleep to be healthy, functional, and to do our best throughout the day. For my family we strive for 8 hours. The kids often get a little more than that since they don’t have a designated wake up time. Mary takes a nap still (oh to be 2 again), but for the grown-ups we set the goal as 8 pm for lights out and 4 am for alarm clocks. This lets us maximize our awake hours and still get adequate rest our bodies need.
I’d love to know what you do to get the best sleep for you and your family?
Share your tips in the comments and let’s all get back to sleeping better.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Better Sleep Council.
