March is National Sleep Awareness Month

Did you know March is National Sleep Month? A good night of sleep sets the tone for the day to follow. That is why it is so important to get a good night of sleep! The benefits of good sleep are endless and can make a major impact on our kiddo's (and our own!) daily functioning. Here are a few tips our friendly OT team would like you to know:

-Provide your child with lots of opportunities to move and be active during the day. When our kids get time to run around and play outside, it helps them to sleep better at night.

-Keep bedtime and naptime routines the same. Don’t have a bedtime routine? Work on creating one. Routines are important to help cue your child’s body to wind down and get ready for rest. This might include same bedtime/wake time every day, creating a visual schedule can help, including calming activities!

-Limit alerting activities, such as screen time and rough and tumble play, 2 hours before bedtime. Studies have found that blue light from screens interfere with the natural production of melatonin, which helps our body get sleepy and ready for rest.

-Create an environment that promotes healthy sleep hygiene, including using a fan or sound machine for white noise, dimming lighting, and reducing clutter.