I love the quote “I am a person who wants to do a lot of things trapped in a body of a person that likes to sleep a lot”. Saying that, some of us who may like to sleep have habitual sleep problems. So, I thought I’d interview my friend, Meg Casano, BSN, MA, a sleep expert, and ask her to share her top 5 sleep hygiene suggestions. While she specializes in helping children’s sleep issues, she said these apply to teens and adults as well. Here is what she shared wtih me!
The building blocks for successful sleep include:
1. A quiet room with unchanging noise.
Falling asleep to music or other sounds that ebb and flow (such as waves crashing on a sound machine) can disrupt your sleep. If you use sound machine, choose a constant sound.
2. Screens off 30- 60 minutes before bed.
I know, I know this is so hard, especially for teens (or adults), but it’s non-negotiable for good sleep. Meg says she teaches her four girls that a good night of sleep is the best thing they can do to prepare for a test and that their brains do so much work for them while sleeping! (And amazing what it does for an adult as well!)
3. Avoid weekend social jet lag as much as you can.
The circadian rhythm does best with regular bed and wake times within the same 30 minute window daily. Sleeping in an extra three hours on the weekend and staying up three hours later on Friday and Saturday night is the same as flying back and forth to California every 5 days. Think about how we would feel as adults if we did that. It’s the same for our kids!
4. Be careful of caffeine.
Caffeine takes time to be eliminated from the body. If you consume caffeine, make sure you aren’t having any after 2pm. (And sad to say that includes chocolate!)
5. A dark, cool room, but warm feet.
With all the lights out, you should only be able to make out shapes and shadows for safety. If the light is bright enough to read or clearly make out objects in the room it could be enough to disrupt the circadian rhythm and melatonin production.
Temperatures ranging from low 60s to no more than low 70s are most ideal.
*Cozy socks or something warm to place down by your feet can help promote sleep.
*I don't recommend this for anyone going through peri-menopause or menopause, for women or men. Yes, men can experience menopause too! Hot hands and feet can trigger a hot flash!
I do pretty much all of these things, AND take IN:DREAM and sleep better now than I have in a decade since having kids.
To read more about Meg or to read up on her blog, visit
https://www.babysleepscience.com/about
Be well and sleep deep!
Simone