Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night? Do you sometimes realize right after you climb under the covers that you left something on or you forgot to brush your teeth? Or is it your kids who can’t seem to stay in bed? Following some of the ideas listed below could be the solution to restless nights you’ve been looking for.
Get Organized
If you find yourself forgetting an important step or two of your evening ritual each night, or if you aren’t sure if you asked your kids if they did everything before bedtime, you may want to create a checklist you can go over each time you get ready for bed. You might keep it on your smartphone, especially if you like to check your notifications before bed, or you can tape a list to the wall near you or your child’s bedroom door. This reminder should make it easier to get everything done every night.
Try Reading
Reading is a classic way of lulling an active mind to sleep. For kids, the content of the story isn’t as important as your presence and the sound of your soothing voice, although telling a story they like is definitely a good thing. For adults, reading is a calming activity even if the book itself is exciting, plus it can tire your brain out and make it easier to fall asleep quickly.
Stay on a Schedule
There are certain times when your body wants to be asleep and certain times it wants to be awake. You might not be able to stick with this natural rhythm if you work the graveyard shift or if you have a fussy baby, but setting a sleep schedule (no matter what that schedule is) and sticking to it is an effective way of making sure the whole family gets enough sleep every night. It will also help your body fall asleep consistently because that’s just what it’ll expect you to do at a certain time every night.
Clear the Air
A good air conditioner and HVAC system can be crucial to getting to bed on time every night. For one thing, your central air system comes with an air filter or two that traps allergens and makes sure that you won’t wake yourself up with a sneeze or a clogged nose.
It also helps to have it regulate the temperature, because if you get too hot or too cold when you’re asleep you’ll wake up automatically so that you can deal with the problem. A hot, humid day can become a sleepless night of tossing and turning if your air conditioner breaks on the wrong evening.
It’s important to get your eight hours of sleep every night, whether you’re an adult or a child. Sleep is refreshing, healing, invigorating, and so much more. If you or your kids have trouble going to sleep consistently, look at how you’re going to sleep and figure out how you can make things simpler and easier.
