Parent Bedtime Routines
We talk a lot about our child’s bedtime routine and the importance it has on sleep. But what about the parent’s bedtime routine?
Raise your hand if you have a bedtime routine for yourself?
I covet my bedtime routine. Around 9-9:30pm I am upstairs prepping for sleep. I like to have lights out by 10pm since I am up by 5:15am to get ready for work… but this quarantine season I gave myself some slack and pushed bedtime to 10:30pm and I wake up closer to 6:30am. I am a sleep enthusiast, and have always prioritized my sleep.
In college, if I wasn’t done studying by midnight I was done and went to bed. Pulling an all nighter would not help me retain information but make me sleep deprived. Instead, I focused hard for as long as I could and then chose sleep. If I didn’t know the material by midnight, I wouldn’t know it or retain it any better at 3am. At least taking a test refreshed would make me more able to choose better answers and focus than if I was fighting to stay awake. I feel the same applies to my life now as a working parent.
Sleep training my daughter was as much a decision to make my own sleep a priority as it was for my daughter’s sleep. Especially as a household with two full time working parents.
We all function better when we get adequate sleep. I choose an early bedtime for myself so I can get up at 5am to work out and get ready for work all before my daughter wakes up. So when she is up for the day between 6:30-7am, I can focus on getting her ready for daycare before we all have to head out the door. Setting myself up for a smooth morning routine is hugely helpful. But it also helps prep me for the unexpected. An off night or a rough morning, at least I prioritized sleep and was ready for the day before chaos begins.
So, just like a bedtime routine signals sleep for your child, it’s important for mom and dad to have a bedtime routine for better sleep, too!!
In fact, an adult bedtime routine doesn’t have to look much different from your child’s!
Start with something relaxing to help you unwind. Maybe YOU take a bath! Add some bubbles, light a candle. Or you curl up with some hot tea and a face mask.
Whatever helps you unwind and is technology-free will really prep your mind and body for sleep.
Continue with the basics of the routine. Brush your teeth, wash your face, do a skincare routine. Do it in the same order every night so you don’t skip steps. If you get side tracked once your makeup is off and the lighting is perfect to pluck your eyebrows and investigate every pore (guilty!), keep the lights low and avoid the distraction.
Try to be in bed at the same time every night. Even if you hop into bed and read a book for a little, keep your lights off time the same every night. Your body has a memory for time. It will naturally start to get tired at the same time every night if you are consistent. Just like your body naturally starts to wake up at a specific time for work or to start your day.
Your bedtime routine doesn’t have to be long. It can be 30 minutes just like your child or even shorter. Keep it short and sweet but as technology-free as possible and relaxing.
So tell me, do you have a bedtime routine? Is there something that helps you transition from the busy day to ease into a relaxing evening? Let me know in the comments!
I wrote a post all about “mom favorites” here. I list a lot of relaxing items – maybe you can snag a few for your bedtime routine!
Sweet Dreams!
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