Stop stealing your own sleep...
Stop scrolling and don't be "always available"
Do you suspect your phone is hurting your sleep? Or that your kid’s phone is hurting theirs? You could be right. Sleep disorder specialists cite bedtime screen habits for disrupting sleep, keeping the mind active, and even suppressing melatonin (a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep and wake cycle). Sleep is critical to our physical and mental well-being. And working from home and the boundary-lessness of the contemporary work world can make it challenging.
As with any tech habit, modeling the behaviors you’d like to see in your family members is key. Are you going to sleep at a time that feels good for you and your body? Do you check your phone right before going to sleep? Where do your phones stay at night? If your kids climb into your bed on a weekend morning, are they climbing over a web of chargers and wires?
Here are some ideas to help you and your family put sleep first and build a healthy sleep routine:
Where do devices live?
The best place for devices to go to sleep overnight is outside of bedrooms. Consider a charging station in the kitchen or your home office.
Consider investing in simple alarm clocks. If that’s not an option, consider switching your phone to airplane or night mode to ensure no notifications dinging in the middle of the night.
Unplug 60-90 minutes before bed, figure out what’s realistic for your family, and consider your kids’ age.
Divide online or offline homework to promote screen-free time in the evening. Maybe “plugged-in homework“ happens before dinner, and the reading, instrument practice, or writing happens after dinner.
Recreational screentime on a device across the room like the TV is better before bed than a handheld device that’s close to your eyes. If you’re watching TV before bed, a fun show will be less stressful than scrolling social media or checking grades!
Set a routine example for your family:
Set up regular waking and sleeping schedules.
Create a relaxing habit before bed — read or play board games.
Set the tone in your home with some soothing music or scents like lavender.
Decide device shut-off times for all family members — and remember to model this first!
Choose where to keep devices during sleep — in your bedroom on airplane mode if you don’t have a landline? In the kitchen at your charging station?
Notice the first thing you do on your device when you get up in the morning:
Do you silence your alarm and then go straight to social media?
Do you start checking emails and looking at your calendar?
What could you try instead to help you ease into your day? Perhaps it’s an inspiring podcast or uplifting playlist
Sleep routines will likely change throughout the year. Before vacations, days off school, and weekends, decide how you’ll continue to prioritize sleep — helping you set yourself up for an energizing day — every day.
Want to learn more about teens and sleep? Check out Lisa Lewis’s excellent new book The Sleep Deprived Teen.
PS: Wanting to ask questions live about raising kids in the digital age? Come join me and Sheryl Gould, host of the “Moms of Tweens and Teens” Podcast at this pay-what-you-can live workshop. on November 2, 7pm ET/ 4pm PST.