New Year, New Sleep?
How do you feel about New Year’s Resolutions? I know many embrace the fresh start of a new year and love setting new resolutions to aim for, while others couldn’t care less. I fall somewhere in the middle but when it comes to sleep, I view it as a way to reset and focus in on those nagging sleep issues that either don’t seem to go away or keep popping back up like whac-a-mole for our babies and toddlers. Here’s how to set sleep resolutions to drive more consistent and quality sleep for your whole family:
Figure out your pain points: What are the sleep-related issues that keep you up at night (either literally or with worrying)? This could be an over-extended bedtime routine (SO MANY TUCK INS!), night wakings or naps that are short or inconsistent.
Make a plan: What do you have time to try to tackle? I’d recommend focusing on one thing at a time to not overwhelm you or your kid(s) and giving it up to a week or two before moving onto tackling any other sleep issues. Set a plan to figure out what you want to improve (like making the bedtime routine shorter so your kid goes to sleep faster), create your script and communicate it in advance (for toddlers and up). This would sound something like “We know it’s been tricky for you to stay in bed at bedtime. We’re going to be making a change to make sure you get the sleep you need and here’s what we’re going to do….”
Make it happen: This is definitely not as simple as it sounds most of the time so give yourself grace and time for you and your kid(s) to get used to a new routine. Consistency is the most important factor here. Stay focused on your plan and your script, and try not to deviate when feasible. Within as little as a few nights (but sometimes up to a week or two), you should start to see improvement.
Does this sound exciting but also overwhelming? I’m here to help if you need support or an expert perspective. Wishing you a happy and restful new year!
