Every family member needs to get enough sleep. Each person can learn good sleep habits. Both parents and children are able to develop routines which can aid sleep. Quality rest is important. Getting enough sleep helps the immune system because night-time is when the body heals and repairs itself. It is important to regularly get enough rest and sleep to improve each person’s health, mood, and energy.

Personal Story

When I had a newborn, one of priority goals was to get the sleep I needed to manage the household and teach our older children. I knew each of my family members needed to get enough quality rest. Helping our baby learn to sleep at night was an important task.

I worked toward feeding my infant around eleven pm to have the baby in bed and, hopefully, sleep from midnight to about three. The baby would eventually sleep for longer times. Eventually, I tried to feed every three hours, with naps between feedings. The babies would really dictate the schedule, though. My task was to encourage regular feedings and sleep times.

Family Sleep Requirements

The amount of sleep family members need varies from person to person, according to their age. Here are suggestions for each age range:

• Infants, ages 4 to 12 months, need to sleep 12 to 16 hours every 24 hours, including naps.
• Toddlers, ages 1 -2 years need 11 to 14 hours every 24 – hour period, including naps.
• Preschool children, ages 3-5 years, need 10 – 13 hours every 24 hours, including naps.
• School-aged children, ages 6 – 12 years, need 9 to 12 hours every 24 hours.
• Teens, ages 13 to 18, need 8 -10 hours every 24 hours.
• Adults need 7 or more hours of sleep every night.

General Recommendations

Many sleep experts give recommendations for improving your family’s sleep habits. Here is a brief summary of some of them.

• Wake up at the same time every morning.
• Head to bed early at the same time each evening.
• Follow the same routine every night: turn the lights low, take a warm bath; read a book; and wind down.
• Get regular, daily exposure to sunlight for twenty minutes.
• Exercise often helps sleep problems. Exercise aerobically in the morning. Before bed, do relaxing exercises, such as stretching or yoga.
•  Create a calming environment in your bedroom by removing clutter and distraction.
• Use aromatherapy of an essential oil, such as lavender, to help relaxation.
• Journal an hour or so before bed. Write feelings about the day. Write out things that cause worry or stress. Create a to-do list for the next day.
• Use the bed for sleep and intimate relations only and avoid watching “television” in bed.
• Have total darkness and quiet.
• Use progressive relaxation techniques to counteract stress and help induce sleep.
• Try to avoid eating heavy right before bed, caffeine-containing beverages, alcohol, and medicines that interfere with sleep.
• If a person has hypoglycemia, have a high-protein snack right before bed and keep a protein-snack beside the bed.

When family members have good sleep habits, they have a better quality of sleep. Family sleep habits improve their mood, health, and energy. Ultimately, good family sleep habits create a happier home.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. What are your favorite family sleep habits? Please encourage others by writing in the comment section above.