Letâs be honest: getting your little to sleep can be difficult. We donât like it (might miss something!), itâs boring and in long distance relationships, the lack of contact can keep us awake.
Unfortunately, a good sleep is vital for a healthy mind and body, and no one wants a grumpy little!
These are tips for both littles and Caregivers to try and get the best shut eye possible. This list is not inclusive and not for everybody. Feel free to add tips and suggestions.
đ Set a bedtime. Make it reasonable and age appropriate. Teenagers need up to 12 hours of sleep. Adults require 7-9 hours. Too much and too little can lead to problems.
đ Two hours before you plan on bed, begin to limit your digital influences. Blue light filters are shown to possibly help, but donât rely heavily on them.
đ Exciting games can lead to restlessness, as they can lead to adrenaline and/or cortisol surges. These natural stimulant hormones can take up to two hours to leave your body.
đ Donât shower or bathe directly before bed. Your body requires specific temperatures too fall asleep, and a hot body temp wonât help.
đ Bathe or shower an hour+ before bedtime WILL help, as your body will have time to cool down and can induce drowsiness.
đAvoid stimulant drinks such as coffee, tea or soft drinks after 4/5pm.
đ Really try to have your bedroom as a place of rest, if possibllly, no television, no games, nothing distracting. You should associate that room with rest and sleep.
đPlace a glass of water beside your bed. Middle of the night thirst can happen, and 8+ hours of sleep will leave you dehydrated. Gulp it down first thing to help wake up!
đ Bedtime routine helps. This should include a set sleep time and wake up time.
đ Stories and cuddles can really help as well. Nothing helps a little get drowsy like the smell and feel of their CG and the sound of their voice.
đ Do a monster check! If you are alone and unsure, set a stuffie on the floor. Stuffies are a monsterâs greatest enemy, as they cannot get past them.
đ If you are long distance, a bedtime phone call or Skype session is an excellent routine.
đ If, due to time zones, a Skype or phone call isnât possible, record a message, send a link to a story, or upload a private YouTube video of you reading them a story. Itâll take 10 minutes and make your little excited for bedtime.
đ Cuddles. This needs no explanation.
đ If you get a full brain, keep a cute notebook and pen on your side table. Before bed, write down your thoughts and to-do lists. Tell yourself that you can pick it up first thing. Go to bed knowing all your worries are on paper for the morning.
đ Limit daytime naps if youâre struggling to sleep at night. Keep pushing towards a healthy sleep routine.
đ This is all I can think of and is based on what helps ME. Iâm not a doctor or trained in any of this. But I do know sleep, whether we like it or not (we donât) is important.đ