Sleep is essential for living a healthy, productive, and energized waking life. We’ve all had those nights where we’ve tossed and turned, trying to get shuteye, only to wake up feeling groggy and irritable throughout the entire day. Catching the recommended 8 hours of sleep at night can be a challenge, especially if you’re raising kids who are all on different sleep schedules. However, getting a good night’s sleep every night isn’t impossible. Take a look at these tried and true sleeping tips below.
Set ground rules for the family
Growing up, you probably remember staying up well past midnight as a teenager watching TV, talking to friends, or even doing late-night homework. Now, as an adult, you can barely stay awake past 9 or 10. Why is this? It has to do with something called your body’s internal 24-hour clock, or your circadian pacemaker. Your circadian clock determines when you fall asleep and when you wake up, which changes as you age. For adolescents, their internal clock tells them to go to sleep later and wake up later, while the older you get, the earlier you tend to fall asleep and wake up.
These conflicting sleep schedules can make it difficult for every member of the family to get consistent sleep, which is why it’s important to set some ground rules. For example, make it a rule that your children can stay up late if they need to, but after 9 or 10, they need to make a solid effort to be quiet. This means keeping the TV volume down and chatting to friends softly. The same goes for parents in the morning. To ensure your little ones aren’t groggy and irritable, be quiet in the morning when you cook breakfast and do household chores.
Try natural supplements
If sleeping is becoming a consistent problem, there are plenty of natural supplements that can help you and your family members get some shuteye, such as:
- Herbal teas, such as lavender and chamomile, are proven to help reduce stress and anxiety and can calm nerves to help you fall asleep quicker.
- CBD, or cannabidiol, is another popular natural remedy for sleeping. For the adults over 21 years of age in the home, buying the best CBD gummies and other CBD edibles can help you fall asleep at night, as CBD is known to reduce stress and anxiety, which can keep you up past your desired bedtime.
- Melatonin is the hormone that regulates your body’s sleep-wake cycle. If you have low levels of melatonin, falling asleep can be difficult. Melatonin supplements are an easy remedy to help boost your levels to get sleepy and drift away to your dreams.
Create a comfortable bedroom
The environment you’re sleeping in can also determine how you sleep. If you’re sleeping on an old, hard mattress you got decades ago, you may find yourself tossing and turning throughout the night. There are plenty of minor upgrades you can make to create a sleeping oasis:
- Memory foam or hybrid mattress: These two types of mattresses use memory foam to create a contour-fitting surface that relieves pressure points on joints and muscles in your neck, back, shoulders, and hips in a variety of sleeping positions. The only difference is that a hybrid mattress also uses a series of individually pocketed springs for a firmer feel.
- Comfortable bedding: Itchy, scratchy, or noisy bedding can be your worst nightmare. Swap out your old bedding for comfortable sheets made from bamboo that are cooling and soft, or try a weighted blanket to help relieve stress at night and get to bed on time.
- Plants: Adding greenery to your bedroom is another excellent way to help you sleep at night. Plants have many healing properties, and adding houseplants to your room can remove toxins from the air to help purify it, making it easier to breathe. Additionally, fragrant plants like jasmine or lavender can help calm nerves to promote sleep. Looking for some plant options? Try aloe vera, spider plants, snake plants, bamboo, or English ivy.
Wrapping up
If you and your family are struggling to fall asleep at night, you’re probably looking for a quick solution to get some shuteye and feel better when you wake up. With these tips to improve your entire family’s sleep, from trying natural supplements to re-configuring your bedroom, you’ll be on your way to living a rejuvenated life.