The Importance of Sleep

Sleep plays an important role in one’s physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing.  This not only applies to adults, but more importantly applies to children. Without the proper amount of sleep, children may struggle with behavior changes, physical symptoms, and poor academic achievement.

Here are some quick sleep tips:

Stick to a sleep schedule of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends: This helps to regulate your body’s clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.

A consistent bedtime routine: It is good to have the same routine before bed each night. This will help prepare for sleep. Quiet activities are good e.g. reading a book or being read to or having a bath or shower.

Bed is for sleeping, not entertainment: TV, computers, mobile phones and other thing that are distracting are not good for your sleep. These should be kept out of the bedroom.

Sleep in a dark, comfortable room: light signal your body that it’s time to be awake, so you want to avoid it at night. But if you are afraid of the dark, it is okay to have a dim night-light.

Don’t sleep with a pet: This can be a tough habit to break, but your lovable dog or cat could be keeping you awake. As your pet cozies up to you or makes noise, it could wake you from a peaceful sleep.

Don’t drink any caffeinated beverages (like soda or iced tea) after about 3:00 in the afternoon: caffeine is a stimulant and might keep you awake.

A snack before bed may help: It is harder to sleep on an empty stomach. A light snack can help, but you should not have a heavy meal within one to two hours of going to bed.

*Contributed by Megan Smith, Student Nurse