You may have heard of this phrase being thrown around, but what does it actually mean?
The concept of Sleep Hygiene, is to clean up anything that may impact the quality of your sleep. This can be the physical environment in which you sleep or your emotional state.
In this post, I’ll be sharing some ways you can help improve the sleep hygiene for toddlers and infants (and yes, most of these can also be applied to you adults also)
1. Light?
Our internal body clock regulates our sleep wake cycles according to the amount of light, and type of light we receive. So be mindful of screen time close to bed and especially be careful with blue light usage.
2. Noise?
Noises like those from the TV, washing machines, family talking too loudly, can interfere with sleep, as they are stimulating, and don’t allow for proper sleep integration. Try playing some gentle classical music, white noise machines or ambient nature noises.
3. Temperature?️
Did you know that the ideal sleep temp is 18 deg? Anything above or below this can lead to sleep deprivation, stress or parasomnias! wow! ? Think about the material of your pj’s & bedsheets(natural fibres are ideal).
4.Safety????❤️
Feeling stressed or anxious can lead to children experiencing nightmares. It is absolutely essential that you help your child feel safe and calm, this can then lead to positive associations with sleep. Why not try -Sweeping away the imaginary monsters with an invisible light sabre?!??
5. Smells???
Smells have a direct link to our brain, which can act as powerful tool. Why not use calming scents like lavender or rose.
6. Clutter?️
Keeping a clean, organised bedroom helps create a comfortable and safe environment. Try keep the bedroom for sleeping.
7. Comfort??♂️
Choosing the right textures can help create a more comfortable sleeping environment. Try to use hypoallergenic material or pj’s with no seams.
Follow the above tips and see what works for you, feel free to add any or share with us your experience of sleep hygiene.
