It’s that time of year again! We are emerging from the post-holiday bliss/exhaustion/food withdrawal and we are turning our souls into a fresh New Year. There is something about the New Year that has us all craving a fresh start. Many of us are thinking about what we want to achieve and how we can improve our lives to be happier, healthier and more fulfilled. Christmas lists are quickly replaced by lists of New Year’s Resolutions. Look at your 2020 resolutions a little differently and instead of the most common resolutions, you replace them with one New Year’s Sleep Resolution: PRIORITIZE SLEEP!
OPTIMIZE YOUR SLEEP ENVIRONMENT
- Your bedroom should be solely for sleep and sex
- Create a sleep haven – cool, dark, white noise, soft sheets
- Take out the TV and any electronics.
Remove any blue or white light sources
DEVELOP A CONSISTENT BEDTIME ROUTINE
- Just like our kiddos, we need a consistent bedtime routine that helps to relax us and tells our body that we are getting ready for sleep
- A bath or a shower can be relaxing
- Opt to read a book instead of Netflix and Instagram
- If your mind is busy, keep a journal by the side of the bed to jot your thoughts down
ESTABLISH A CONSISTENT BEDTIME & WAKE TIME
- A daily consistent bedtime and wake up time is important for adults as it helps with our circadian rhythm, our internal sleep wake clock.
- The most recommended way is to sleep every night and wake up at the same time every day. Even on the weekends! If you have little kids, waking at the same time every day shouldn’t be a problem!
HELP YOUR CHILDREN TO BE HEALTHY SLEEPERS
- It should go without saying that if your children aren’t getting enough sleep, you are definitely *NOT* getting enough sleep!
- Prioritizing how to help your child to be a better sleeper will in turn help you get the sleep you need and undoubtedly, you’ll show up more as the parent you want to be.
- Our child’s disposition will be happier and therefore there will be less stress in your household.
- If they aren’t waking at ungodly hours in the morning or fighting bedtime, you’ll have time and energy to fit in your workouts and to prepare healthier food choices.
- In full transparency, I finished writing this at 11:45 pm – way past my bedtime! Guess what my Top New Year’s Sleep Resolution is this year? Prioritizing sleep! Hopefully it will help me to take off the “baby weight” that has been hanging around for the past five years!