The importance of sleep for us and our kiddos

I wanted to take some time to talk about a subject that is near and dear to my heart – Sleep. Being that I have had difficulties with my own sleep in the past, sleep is a subject that I really encourage my clients to focus on, in addition to implementing a good sleep routine and sleep schedule.

Sleep is one of those things in my opinion that is truly instrumental and important to our health, yet it is typically one of the first things to be abandoned or neglected. How many times have we said to ourselves, “I’ll watch just one more episode” or “I’ll go on social media just for a couple of minutes” only to result in us neglecting our sleep and not getting the doctor recommended amounts of sleep per night?
 
I will be first to admit that I am guilty of this. I am guilty of staying up late, neglecting my sleep, and telling myself it will be “no big deal tomorrow" only to have to drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee the next day to realize that I should not have neglected my sleep the night before.
 
Think of how differently we act after just one night of bad sleep – we are tired, we are groggy, we are irritable, our bodies may need to get more energy from food causing us to eat more, our reaction time may be longer – which can be a safety hazard when driving. It can take us longer to process information making it harder for us to make good decisions, and that’s just the temporary effects. There is currently a lot of research being performed on the topic of sleep, and studies are showing that long term continued sleep deprivation can lead to some serious medical concerns.
 
I don’t say this to scare you, but just to let you know that the amount of sleep we receive is something we need to take seriously and make a priority. It is understood that we all have good and bad days, weeks, months, etc. But we want to do our best to set a good example for our kiddos and give ourselves the recommended amount of sleep we need.
 
Start small and try to implement small changes like;

• Turn off all screens in your house (TV, Video Games, Computers, and Phones) at least 1 hour to bedtime.
• Set up a bedtime routine for yourself and your kiddos so you both get used to winding down at the end of the day. This can include taking a bath/shower, brushing teeth, and reading a bedtime story.
• Try your best to keep a routine and consistent bedtime every night, even on the weekends, holidays, vacations, etc. I know this is easier said than done. I personally try to consistently make sure I am in bed around 10:00 pm – so I can wake up around 6:00 am and receive the recommended amount of sleep per night for my age.
• With your family see if you can find a consistent bedtime routine and consistent bedtime you all can follow. If everyone is going to bed around the same or similar times, it can make the whole sleep process go smoother for everyone.

 
Try these strategies this week and let me know how it goes, email me at blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com and let me know what sleep strategies work best for you.
 
Also, check out the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) website which lists the recommended amounts of sleep per age. https://www.cdc.gov/features/sleep/index.html
 
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As always, if you have any specific questions or anything you would like me to write about please email me at blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com
 
See you soon!
Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L