Since I’ve become a parent, sleep routines has consumed a lot of my thoughts. I am a firm believer on making sure your children have a good bedtime routine so they can get a good night’s rest. After all, if you sleep well at night, you will be happy and healthy during the day!
My almost 6 year old has had a pretty strict bedtime routine since he was a very little one. He has a bath, brushes his teeth, gets dressed into his pajamas, picks out a book, usually begs for a drink of water and then we have lots of snuggles, hugs and kisses {I’m crossing my fingers he will continue to want this from his Mama!} and then he goes right to sleep. This routine has really helped him to fall asleep fast and in his own bed.
For my 10 month old twins, they have a similar bedtime routine. They have a bath, get into their pajamas and then a bottle before they go into their cribs fully awake. They are usually asleep within 5 minutes and I am positive it’s because of a good bedtime routine.
My Sleep Routine
I never thought much about sleep before I had Hayden. I used to be able to stay up late, get up early. On the weekends I would sleep in late or even have the chance to take a mid-day nap!
I’ve also never had a sleep routine. I’m actually jealous of the people that have their bedtime routines. You know, brush their teeth, clean their face, drink a warm glass of milk, read in bed…and then they are zonked out in bed.
For me, I’ll brush my teeth, sometimes wash my face, I’m lactose intolerant, and sometimes I’ll read the news headlines on my iPhone. But most of the time I either stay up late and just fall into bed or I lay in bed without winding down and my mind is always racing.
Sleep is on my Mind
Sleep is on my mind a lot. My twins are my alarm clock so I go by their sleep schedule. They are usually up by 7am so I’m up right away, making their bottles and getting my son ready for school. Once I’m back home, I’m always thinking about sleep. I should have gotten more sleep. Will the girls actually nap at the same time? Wait, why is Evie still sleeping after it’s been 3 hours?! Should I wake her up? Why won’t Olivia sleep?! Why can’t they both sleep and maybe I can get a nap in?
It’s constantly on my mind – even stranger’s minds! I’m always getting asked if the girls take good naps or are sleeping at night.
Then, as I’m staying up late working with one eye on the clock, I think to myself that I need to go to sleep soon. I don’t want to be super tired in the morning. But wait, maybe just 30 more minutes of writing. And 20 more minutes on Pinterest. And so it goes.
Sleep Routines for Adults
One of my 2014 resolutions is to get better organized and to get healthier. A part of getting healthier is to start a better sleep routine. I’m already sleeping on my favorite mattress ever – the Serta iComfort Directions. It doesn’t get any better than that and once I fall asleep, I’m out for the night. There’s a lot of things that are stoping me from falling asleep and staying wired. Here are some tips that I’m going to be working on for 2014!
– Avoid caffeinated beverages at night. It can be tempting to have that 4pm coffee {trust me, it’s tempting!} but it can backfire a few hours later when you’re trying to go to sleep. Same for that soda you had with dinner. Try switching to water in the late afternoon.
– Stop drinking beverages a few hours before going to sleep. There’s nothing worse than trying to fall asleep and then having to get up a few times to go to the bathroom. No? Just me? I’ve stopped drinking after 8pm so I don’t have this issue anymore!
– Turn off the electronics! This is a big one for me, but I’m going to try and do it. Most nights I always am on my phone for a good 30 minutes checking my email and a few news websites while laying in bed. Either that or my husband and I will watch a rerun of The Big Bang Theory. While I’m not one to say get the TV out of the bedroom {that is actually one of my favorite things to do!}, I do think it’s best to try and avoid electronics at least 30 minutes before you know you’ll be headed to sleep.
– No late-afternoon or evening naps, unless you work nights. If you need to take a nap – and I know how it is, I’m always dragging at 3pm – keep it at a maximum of 45 minutes and don’t do it after 3pm unless you want to be up all night!
– Make your room a sleep sanctuary! Last month, I shared 5 things you need for a better night’s sleep. From candles to cozy pillows, creating an environment that is welcoming to sleep will help you wind down easier and faster.
– Set and stick to a sleep schedule. Just like your children have a bedtime and fall asleep quickly once they are in bed, if you have a set bedtime your body will know it’s time to fall asleep!
I’m going to try some of these tips in the New Year and see how it helps me in establishing a good bedtime routine!
Do you have a bedtime routine? I’d love for you to share yours or some tips you have!
Disclosure: I am Serta Blogger and am being compensated for my time and participation in the program. I am also receiving an iComfort Mattress. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Serta for banishing the counting sheep from my life.
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Oh man, I totally hear you on the just 10 more minutes… it’s after 11pm here… my 10 more minutes came over an hour ago.. LOL!
ha! me too!! and i’m all “just this one last thing and then i’m off to bed” but here i am. we’ve been diligent about bedtime with our 3 but they’ve never ever slept past 630- any of them- no matter when they go to bed- unless they are sick. i’m jealous
I always make sure my children get a good night’s rest, especially on school nights. For me though, I need to figure out a way to get more sleep.
I usually fall asleep playing cards on my iPad which goes against EVERYTHING I hear about getting good sleep. I don’t have a problem with it though, I sleep REALLY GOOD….usually ON the iPad LOL
Great tips, I need a new mattress like nobody’s business. I definitely stay away from caffeine, especially at night.
I sleep so horribly and I try so many things to sleep better. These are all great tips, though.
These are great tips! I am trying to work on getting to bed earlier, but I guess it won’t matter since I’m having a baby in a few weeks. I need to make my room more conducive to sleeping, that’s for sure!
I am trying to get a sleep routine down. I have to fall asleep with the tv on. I won’t watch anything I haven’t seen before though and no movies, unless it is one I know by heart. It’s usually Nick at Nite.
I have a pretty good bedtime routine, but I actually suffer from insomnia, so no matter what I do, I don’t sleep unless I take melatonin. I wish that I had found out about it before my 30’s, it’s seriously changed my life.
Mykl and I just finished a huge deep-clean of our bedroom so that it would be less cluttered and easier to relax at night. The next step is painting the walls to a more soothing color once it’s warm enough to open the windows again.
Oh man. I need a sleep schedule/routine. Seriously having issues lately. Sigh.
I wish I had a sleep routine, maybe I should prioritize that for New Years!
I’m in desperate need of a new mattress. I know it would help rectify my sleepless nights.
What great ideas to promote good sleeping. I know there are way too many nights I burn the midnight oil. Setting up a plan could really help me with that.
I think I break every one of those sleep routine rules every darn night. lol Probably explains why I always wake up exhausted.
I know I’m in need of a sleep routine. I regularly stay up late and get up early in the morning. I rarely get 8 hours or sleep and when I do go to bed at a decent time, I don’t often sleep well. I need to make some changes. Thanks for the tips!
We got one of these from last year (The iComfort Revolution, its now been renamed) and its so fantastic! I love it a lot. A+++ from me.
I’m a strict BabyWise/sleep scheduler for my daughter but I have a horribly varied sleep . I really need to do better, especially being pregnant now.
I do NOT have a bedtime routine but I NEED one. I really want to get back to my days of getting up at 4am and starting my day. Then I’d nap around 9 or 10 for a couple of hours and then get back to work. I am going to be more proactive about getting a set bed routine and time for the new year. Thanks for the reminder.
One of my new years goals is to go to bed earlier every night and get up earlier in the am…
I dont have a sleep routine. Its pretty much when ever my body shuts off, then i sleep. That bed looks super comfortable…
I have an awfl sleep routine. I am trying to get more sleep.
I don’t really have a routine. One thing that helps keep my mind from racing is I keep a notepad and write everything down, things that I think of as I’m going along that I don’t want to forget. I think you are the best mommy, your dedication to making sure your littles get a good routine and their sleep, and mommy needs hers, too, to be able to keep up to that!