Self-care has always been hugely important to me and is the reason I started my sleep training business. How can you take care of everyone around you if you aren’t taking care of yourself? It’s the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, and your work life. Believe me, your kids will be grateful for the extra patience and connection they get when YOUR bucket is filled up.
I love this time of year because it’s a time to recharge and think about what’s important. Health is at the top of the list for many people. While it often includes a new gym membership, Dry January, or Whole 30, the list never has “get 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night.” Well, it should be because sleep is the foundation of good health and happiness.
A Good Night's Sleep IS Self-Care
One of my go-to self-care activities is going on a walk and listening to podcasts. Recently, I’ve listened to episodes about the importance of not multitasking, celebrity interviews and manifesting what you want in life. One topic that surfaced in every single podcast was the importance of sleep. I have to admit, I got a little excited because as a pediatric sleep training consultant, sleep is kinda my jam.
Not only is sleep the foundation of good health and self-care, but it’s also an absolute necessity. So keeping our kid’s sleep intact (or working on it, and hey, I can help you do that) is so important. Not only is it essential for good health, but it allows you a few hours of uninterrupted time each evening.
Emotional and Physical Health Benefits of Sleep
I could go on and on about the science behind sleep, but what matters is that when our kids (and us) are sleeping, magic is happening. These are a few of my favorite (sleep) things…(set to the tune from the Sound of Music):
Boosts memory
Regulates emotions
Reduces stress
What we learn processes
So if I can give you one word of advice, followed by 4 tips, it would be to honor your kids (and your) sleep needs.
4 Tips for Healthy Sleep Habits
1. Watch the Waking Hours
Make sure your child has enough awake time in between naps, based on their age!
One of the BIGGEST enemies of sleep – especially for babies and toddlers – is overtiredness. Paying attention to sleep cues is important, but watch the clock, too. Here’s a guide to how long your child should be awake between naps during the day:
SLEEP CHART FOR WAKING HOURS
BONUS: Make sure to know how much sleep your child (and you) needs based on age in 24 hours.
2. Bedtime is the Same Time Every Night
Consistent bedtimes mean better sleep—this is true for morning WAKE-UPs as well!
It’s so easy to let bedtimes fly out the window when school is out of session and there’s little routine. At first, bedtime is just 20 minutes later, and then 2 weeks into winter break they are going to bed an hour later than normal every single night.
Sticking to a bedtime and wake-up time helps the body fall asleep and stay asleep. It’s best not to vary that time more than 30 minutes, even on weekends.
3. Keep Up the Bedtime Routine
A predictable bedtime routine can help your child (and you) sleep better.
Babies and kids love predictable routines. And hey, even most adults do the same steps each night before crawling into bed.
A predictable bedtime routine (lasting no longer than 30 minutes) is a great way to let your child know when the time for sleep is coming.
A typical bedtime routine for babies might look something like this:
Nursing or bottle
Bath (10 minutes max)
Massage or lotion
Diaper & jammies
Read a story or sing some songs (the same number of books or songs each night does the trick)
A typical routine for a toddler or preschooler can be a bit longer (40 minutes) and look like this:
10-minute bath (use a timer)
Brush teeth
Potty
Jammies
Read a story or sing some songs (the same number of books or songs each night does the trick)
3-5 minute relaxation or meditation. My kids love Zenimal (discount code ANDIMETZLERSLEEPCONSULTING)
Make sure that this routine is the same every single time. Remember, you want bedtime to be as predictable as possible for your child!
4. Calm It Down
A calm activity will help your child fall asleep—if you over-excite your child they will take longer to fall asleep!
I’m not sure why, but moments before bed are often filled with wrestling matches and tickle time. I highly encourage both, but not right before bedtime. Reserve 5-20 minutes before you start the routine for calm play. Do a puzzle, play with Legos, and color together, but keep the energy low. Right after dinner is a great time for high-energy play like dance parties and tickle time.
BONUS: Exposure to blue light will negatively affect sleep. It has to do with the suppression of the sleep hormone melatonin (by the way, if you want to learn more about melatonin use for kids, check out this post). No screen time 1-2 hours before bedtime!
Moving Forward and Getting Back Your ‘MeTime’
If you’ve got great sleepers, these tips are a reminder of how to keep sleep on track so the whole family is well rested. Remember, sleep is step one of self-care. Once you’ve got some zzz’s, you can then think about how to recharge your soul. What would you do with 2-3 hours of ‘Me Time’ every night?
If your little ones have been having sleep issues for quite some time, these tricks may not solve all of your problems. I am happy to discuss a solution with you. Just book a FREE 15-minute sleep evaluation phone call.
I support families with virtual sleep packages that include virtual coaching and ongoing virtual support. If you’re in the Ventura, CA area, I’ll even come to your home.
PS - Are we connected on Instagram? I answer sleep questions every Tuesday in my Stories. Take a peek.