It’s time to fall back with the clock and now is a great time to take steps to better your families sleep health. I joined the team at Breakfast Television and shared my top tips and resources on how to help your family sleep better.
Clear your nightstand.
Remove phones, tablets and other tech and electronics from your night table (and your kids’ rooms) before bed. Electronics right before bedtime makes it more difficult to fall asleep and results in less restorative sleep. You don’t need anything that’s going to mess up your sleep schedules any further at this time – so set some tech boundaries and limits at bedtime.
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This is a great time as well to evaluate your sleep tools.
You want re-evaluate your bedroom and bedtime routine. Is your mattress still fitting your needs or do you need to invest in new pillows or blankets? Introducing calming activities at bedtime can help everyone adjust to the new time change. Mindful breathing exercises or aromatherapy can provide the right calming touch.
Seek professional help if problems persists.
If you are still struggling with sleep and are snoring, waking up tired even after having a full night of sleep, or falling asleep throughout the day it’s best to discuss your issues with your doctor to see if a sleep study should be arranged. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorder and the best treatment is using a CPAP machine. This can be daunting to those who are diagnosed. Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart is a great resource because they not only carry products like aromatherapy or light therapy to improve your sleep environment, but they also offer CPAP machines and have Wellwise Sleep Consultants there who can help with proper fittings, treatment solutions, and answer any questions you may have.
How parents can help their kids through this tough time of year.
If your child isn’t super sleep sensitive then you may be able to just jump to the new times and wait for them to adapt. Consistency is key and it may take them a week or two to adjust but they will. This is always the approach we take in our home. Easy peasy.
Another approach for those who are a little more sensitive to routine is to begin a gradual shift in their schedule. Starting a few days before the time change shift your child’s bedtime day by day to 15 minutes later than usual. Also encourage them to wakeup 15 minutes later each day. You can even go as far as shifting their entire daily routine throughout the day, including mealtimes by 15 minutes so come Sunday night their bodies have slowly adjusted and that transition will be that much easier when you have to move the clocks back.
*This is a paid partnership with Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart
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Alanna McGinn is a Certified Sleep Consultant and Founder of Good Night Sleep Site – a Global Pediatric and Family Sleep Team. She provides free child and family sleep support through her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She invites you to join her sleep community as she works towards Good Night Sleep Site’s mission of a healthier rested family unit. For more sleep tips please visit Good Night Sleep Site. Join our movement and #BringBackBedtime.
