How to Ensure Better Night Sleep For Your Family

 

When you have a family of your own, you begin to really understand why personal habits become family habits. 

You all live together and follow each other’s leads when it comes to the way you live and do things around the house. One of the most effective being the bedtime routines. It’s important that you lead by example, and this is why we’re going to help you in implementing healthy bedtime habits to help you and the rest of your family get a proper good night’s sleep.

Stay Active Together

It’s important for the whole family to be aware of how important it is to stay active. Exercise allows your body to stay energized throughout the day and release hormones that help you stay healthy. Make it a habit to go out for a walk or a jog together every day, or sign up for dance classes together. Not only will this be fun, but it will wear everyone out so that by the time bedtime rolls around, falling asleep will not be as difficult a task as it used to be. 

Have Rules for Screen Time

We’re all familiar with how dependent we’ve become on our electronic devices. This includes mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, and even the television. It’s important to note and also educate your children about the light that these screens emit, and their effect on our brains. Blue light tricks the brain into believing that it is daytime, and this affects our circadian cycle, which in turn keeps us from falling asleep and also from having a deep and restful sleep. This is why it’s important that no one has a TV in the bedroom, and that you have a rule that at least an hour before bedtime, no one uses their devices. Alternatively, if you have to work late into the night and don’t have a choice, you have another option. Information found at Blockbluelight.com.au explains how you can have specialized glasses that are designed to block out blue light as you look at the screen. These are great and won’t allow the blue light to affect the quality of your sleep. 

Prepare for Bed at the Same Time

Regardless of what everyone is doing, integrate the habit of having a set bedtime for everyone. This means that you all have the same rituals to prepare for going to bed. This can be doing a bit of yoga together, using the bathroom, and then getting into your PJ’s all at the same time. 

Give Time for Storytelling

From a young age, make sure that the kids tie storytelling with bedtime. Make it a ritual to read to them after you’ve tucked them in. This will carry with them as they get older, and it will become second nature to them to read a book themselves before going to bed. Make sure that they are reading actual paperback books and not books that they’ve downloaded onto their phones because this defeats the whole purpose. Reading is calming and will help them to empty their minds of any stress or difficulty they may have had in their day, helping them have a more restful sleep.

Nightlights & Aromatherapy Diffusers

Creating the right mood and ambiance for the whole family at bedtime is something that needs to appeal to all their senses. So when bedtime rolls around, make sure that you have nightlights placed strategically around the house and in everyone’s bedrooms as well. You want to make sure that the lighting is not too bright, because they need to get into the mood for sleep. You also don’t want the house or room to be too dark, as many kids and people do find this terrifying and uncomfortable. Having soothing smells also do wonders if anyone is having difficulty sleeping. Invest in an aromatherapy diffuser and pick out your favorite oils and switch them on at night to have a calming smell throughout the house. This too will help in getting everyone in the mood for bedtime.

 

If you want to ensure a better night’s sleep for every member of your family, then the habit is the name of the game. Make sure that you utilize all the tips provided here and you’ll see how effective they will be in helping you and the rest of the family have long nights of restful sleep. This will also be a great way to integrate healthy bedtime routines for your kids as they get older and pass them on to their own families when they grow up.