Sleeping Beuaty

Hey Ya'll! I know it's been a while since I last posted, I;ve ebben so busy with such lovely clients. I also spent a fab week in Mexico where the peeps above me smoked virtually 24/7, which meant I got very little lseep and came home with a nsaty cold. Blaaaah.

So, I'm thinking, Let’s start the New Year off right with good, quality sleep! Who’s with me? If your toddler or school-aged child has difficulty around bedtime, sleep hygiene is something your family may need. What’s that you ask? Simply put, sleep hygiene refers to the behaviors necessary y to promote sleep. For children, structure is key. Does your child’s school use a Red Light/Green-Light or some other program to denote expectations for behavior? That’s structure you can use! Here’s how:

1. Establish a consistent bedtime routine. Post it with pictures if needed on the bedroom wall . Be sure to limit screen time at least 30 minutes before bed and ensure at least 8-9hours of sleep. And um, no caffeine. Duh.

2. Set time limits for each step in the routine to keep everyone on track. Use your cell phone, kitchen timer, or songs to set the pace.

3. Utilize your child’s school behavior system (i.e., the Red Light/Green-Light program, etc.) to let him or her know how he/she’s doing and give SPECIFIC feedback. As in, “I like how you finished brushing your teeth before the timer went off.”

4. Is your child tantruming at some point? Ignore the behavior or use your time out strategy and then start again.

5. STAY STRONG-CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Is your child still having bedtime problems or behavior problems other than at bedtime? Drop me a line and we will get things figured out so everyone can sleep well again :)