How to sleep better (when you have kids!)

By: Becky Mansfield

Do you ever wonder how to sleep better when you have kids?   It’s been said parents won’t get a good night’s sleep for six years after their baby is born… and I say it’s completely true. 

Banish tossing, turning and insomnia from the bedroom with these 10 tips that will help you sleep better tonight. If you tossed and turned last night, there is one thing on your mind – you want to sleep better tonight.

You can sleep better tonight and every night in the future when you apply these ten tips to your nighttime ritual.

Top Five Old School, Tried and True Sleep Tips

* Avoid these things: caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, heavy meals and exercise within two hours of bedtime.

* Do something you find relaxing, like taking a warm bath or reading, before going to bed.

* Stick to a regular sleep schedule and go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.

* Keep the bedroom dark and cool. Any light, even the tiniest light from a bedside alarm clock, can interfere with sleep. The body thinks it’s time to wake up when there is light in the room, so turn the alarm clock away from the bed and cover windows with light-blocking windows treatments. The body also naturally cools down its internal temperature when preparing for sleep, and keeping the bedroom cool promotes falling asleep and staying asleep.

* Bedrooms are not for TV or work.  No working, no television watching, no conversation about stressful things (especially about the difficulties of the day or worries/problems with the kids).

Five Novel Approaches to Better Sleep

* Drink a cup of herbal tea, like valerian or chamomile tea, an hour before bedtime to promote sleepiness.

* Certain scents have a calming effect and can make you drowsy. Lavender is one of the most notable sleep-promoting scents and is available in soap, candles, sachets and essential oil forms. A warm lavender scented bath near bedtime and a drop of lavender oil on your pillowcase can help you fall asleep fast.

* Breathe away sleep-stealing thoughts before lying down. Sit in a comfortable position and take a few minutes to clear your mind of troubling thoughts. Concentrate on breathing and relaxing all muscle groups while sitting still. When troubling thoughts try to enter your mind, shift focus back onto your breathing and muscle relaxing.

* Listen to soothing music before bedtime (this can be done while sitting, time breathing and muscle relaxing with music beat). Choose a favorite slow instrumental that will calm you down from the inside out. Fast, upbeat tempo music will wake you up and energize you, so avoid listening to that type of music before bedtime.

* Getting a massage one to two times per week relieve stress and muscle tension, which in turn can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Even a simple shoulder massage for a spouse before bedtime will help you sleep better.

Sleep is so important!  It can change the way that you feel, but also the way that you look.  Your skin changes, your energy level changes, your brain changes… all depending on how well you sleep.   Do your best to catch your zzzz’s.    

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Source: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/124221/sleep-better-kids/

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