It’s important to get the sleep we need and we know this. We struggle because we’re busy during the day and when we come home in the evening. Then we go on to social media to shut down or decompress from the day by distraction. By that time, we are beyond exhausted. We either fall asleep on the couch or in your child’s bed – somewhere that is anywhere in the house!
There’s a negative feedback loop that is happening by moving our bodies into sheer exhaustion and deep distraction in order to feel exhausted enough to sleep.
The Routine
In this article, I talk a little bit about bedtime routine because this is the one thing that’s going to help you find a consistent bed time and a consistent wake up time.
This will supports the endocrine system, it keeps safely out of flight or fight activation, and you can get on with your day with a clear head.
When I talk to families about kids, we look at a pretty simple step-by-step routine: bath, brush teeth, read a story, hug and kiss goodnight – that’s it.
We are hoping for a similar sequence of events for you, but only you can figure out what that sequence looks like. Is it a shower, read a book, have a cup of tea, switch off the light at 9pm, 10pm, or 11pm, and then have an alarm go off for you in the morning at the same time? The more consistent you are, the happier your mind and body will be.
Think of 3 or 4 things that you’re going to put in that sequence as you get your body primed for bedtime. For me, I take the dogs out for a wee, I shower, I read for a bit, and then go to bed. I switch off at the same time most nights, and wake up at the same time most mornings. Set an alarm if that helps you – set it on your phone now if you have it with you!
