I’ve always been fortunate when it comes to sleeping. As in, I’ve never had problems falling or staying asleep. Often, I was teased by my husband for my sleeping habits since I’ve been known to fall asleep in movies and on most car rides. That was until recently. Big thanks to the Better Sleep Council for sponsoring the post with tips for sleeping like a kid again!
About two months ago I had a horrible Sunday night. I tossed and turned in bed, all. night. long. By all night I mean I slept a total of one hour. Yes, ONE.
This was something I’ve never, ever experienced before. I dragged myself to work that day with one eye open. I had nights last year when my baby was in the hospital for a week where I slept for an hour and was ok, so I figured I’d make it through the day. I did, but I was completely exhausted! I went home and went to bed right after dinner. For the next few weeks this routine continued.
Finally, after another frustrating, sleepless night, I convinced myself that I had a medical condition and made an appointment to see my doctor. After ruling out real medical concerns that could cause insomnia, I realized I have now developed a sleeping problem.
Was it stress? Was it anxiety I didn’t know I had? What could actually be the cause of my horrible, newfound insomnia?
Then one night, a night when I was in charge of putting my kids to bed alone (aka no help from my husband) I had a much needed, restful night of sleep. In my kids’ bed! All night long.
The next day I realized, there’s something here that I need to explore to figure out how to yet again sleep like a kid. I had just had the best night’s sleep in my kids room.
If you think about it, kids can jump around their beds, giggle, and play minutes before they fall asleep. I know this because my own kids do it!
They are carefree, they’re having fun, and they’re not stressed about anything. Yet, they just brushed their teeth and are getting “ready” for bed now.
The next step in their bedtime routine is to finally start “calming down” and read a book. This is something that ALL kids should be doing, and adults as well. Reading calms down your brain; it helps to refocus your mind and often makes you feel tired. Kids and adults alike benefit from this bedtime routine.
I take comfort in knowing that I’m not alone in my quest for better sleep as it’s reported by the Better Sleep Council that 8 out of 10 Americans say they would feel more prepared for the day, if they had at least one more hour of sleep a night.
So what’s causing our American sleep crisis?
A lot of factors add into our sleep problems, but here’s a few tips to help you sleep like a kid again. (These tips are tried and true, as I’m speaking from experience)
- Stop watching electronics at least 1-2 hours before bed and keep the electronics out of your room. The lighting from electronics actually stimulates your brain (and can be a cause of worry), which stimulates your brain while you’re trying to sleep. This in turn will keep you awake.
- Check your worries at the door. If you are bringing stress to bed with you, you will not sleep well. Easier said than done, right? Resolve to keep everything that is stressful out of your bedroom. That includes work, your phone (see above) or even allowing yourself to think about work while in bed. Try keeping a journal to control and write about your worries instead of bringing them to bed with you. Even writing this post feels therapeutic, as I’m talking about my struggles with sleep and sharing my tips with you all! 🙂
- Find a calming bedtime routine and stick to it! Much like our kids do. Wash up, read a book, make your room cool, comfortable and calm.
Better Sleep Month is a month-long holiday in May that is celebrated by the sleep industry. It aims to raise awareness about the benefits of better sleep, and to address how poor sleep can disrupt our lives.
Do you have any tips for sleeping like a kid? I’d love to hear them.
Learn more at the Better Sleep Council and find more tips to help you begin to sleep like a kid, again!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Better Sleep Council.