Supporting Healthy Sleep Habits
Sleep is never been more important this Christmas. It boosts immunity and helps you get in the best possible place for 2021!
Enjoy the holidays – what you do in daytime affects night time
Babies and Toddlers
Start to develop a bedtime routine:
Think about the sensory aspects of this;
bath, massage, breast/bottlefeed and then bed.
Think about the environment; some babies need quiet rooms with dim lights to help them sleep, others need a dim light and some sound.
When they are newborn they spend 50% of their time in light sleep and 50% in deep sleep, that is why they wake up frequently.
Remember babies have 6 behavioural states

Children and Teens
Make sure they go to bed and get up at regular times.
Create a relaxing hour before bed with plenty of calming activities.
If they wake up in the middle of the night, allow them to get up and do something quietly in their room until they feel sleepy, and can then go back to bed, to sleep.
Additionally for teen;
Try to support them to wake at the same time each day. Any lie-in should be no longer than an hour and a half past the time they should normally get up. Make sure they get enough sleep over the holidays so that they don’t feel tired.

Adults and Beyond
Plan a restful bedtime routine. Avoid blue screen light in the 2 hours before bedtime. Avoid stimulants and other refeshments that could interfere with sleep.
Create calm and relaxing grown up bedroom space, where work clutter and household chores can be forgotten while you rest.
The right temperature, fresh air and fresh smelling bed linen can help you drift off quickly.
Gentle music, lavender pillow spray and a heated wheat bag or hot water bottle are all sleep inducing. The app Calm is a great way to relax.


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