Better Sleep Coach; Your Help to Better Health through Better Sleep
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Tips for Better Sleep
  • Tips for Students of Any Age
  • Tips for Making CPAP your Friend
  • Tips for Techs
  • Sleep Quiz
  • Coaching
  • Night shift coaching
  • Products to Help You Sleep Better
  • The Gel

Summertime and Sleepy Time

5/28/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
It is the beginning of the summer season and we will all change our daily routines.  One of the biggest issues will be our sleep and our children’s sleep.  The weather changes and the sunlight changes which leads to new sleep habits.  If we are not careful especially with our children that can causes us issues three months from now when they return to school.

So why all this change.  That is simple since our day to day routine changes and become more relaxed our sleep routines also become more relaxed.  This includes how much sunlight we get, how much napping we do and how strict we are about our bedtime.  Our brain is like a computer in that it enjoys the routines we have that tells it when to boot up and when to turn off.  When we change our exposure to light, our exercise, our bedtime or any of our other routine activities it will become confused and not want to shut down.  In the case of our children this can become the fight for going to bed.  Since they no longer have to be at school at 7am we figure it is fine to let them go to sleep when they are tired. 

When school starts up again in August or September the fight to get them to bed on time will be that much bigger if we do not keep their routines intact during the summer.  This does not mean there are no exceptions, just that it should be more normal than not.

If you have ever been to an amusement park you will know what I am talking about.  You see a child in a stroller at 3 in the afternoon and he is whining and fidgety and cranky.  That is because he is usually napping around 3 in the afternoon but his or her parents do not want to deprive him of the experience.  In the end everyone loses.  If the parents took the child to the room to nap instead they may have missed two hours in the park but they would have a child who has been refreshed mind and body and is now ready to enjoy the evening. 

The temperature and long exposure to light also has an effect on our bodies that can lead to insomnia.  To help with this it is essential that we stay hydrated.  That is why you feel so fatigued when you spend the day out in the sun.  Our body needs water to operate effectively.  It is also important that we get that good morning sunlight that tells our brain it is time to wake up and that we have light blocking shades in our bedrooms at night so we have the darkness we need to produce Melatonin. 

If you feel that a change in your routine is needed that is great.  With summer’s relaxed routine it is a great time to add or try new things for your sleep routine.  You can try exercising in the early evening to see how it affects your sleep, meditation or yoga as part of your sleep routine or changing your bedtime or wake time to determine if a change will lead to better sleep.  I have found that if I change my alarm clock from 6am to 6:15 I wake more refreshed because I have ended my REM sleep by 6:15.  Summer gives me that time to play with these adjustment. 

Take the time to enjoy yourself this summer but remember that you still need a sleep routine if you want to enjoy your day. 


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    January 2018
    January 2017
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010

    RSS Feed

    Blog Roll
    Stop Snoring
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Aasm
    Aast
    Add
    Allergies
    Amy Korn Reavis
    Amy Korn-Reavis
    Apap
    Auto Titrating Cpap
    Balance
    Bedding
    Bipap
    Boards
    Bodymedia Fit
    Books
    Breathing
    Brpt
    Career
    Children
    Cpap
    Cpap Accessories
    Cpap Mask
    Cpap Masks
    Cpap Problems
    Cpap Solutions
    Cpap Therapy
    Daylight Savings Time
    Dental Appliances
    Diabetes
    Dr Steven Park
    Education
    Enurisis
    Exercise
    Fatigue
    Florida Association Of Sleep Technicians
    Gerd
    Growth
    Habits
    Health
    High Blood Pressure
    Holidays
    Hot Weather
    Insomnia
    Insurance
    Job
    Licensure
    Management
    Monitoring
    Morning Headaches
    Napping
    Nbrc
    New Cpap
    Obesity
    Obstructive Sleep Apnea
    Oral Appliances
    Osa
    Pain
    Pap Nap
    Physicial
    Planning
    Publicity
    Relax
    Relaxation
    Resolutions
    Respiratory Credentials
    Respiratory Therapy
    Shaq
    Sheets
    Short Sleep
    Sleep
    Sleep Apnea
    Sleep Deprivation
    Sleep Disorders
    Sleep Education
    Sleep Hygeine
    Sleep Hygiene
    Sleep Lab
    Sleep Routine
    Sleep Societies
    Sleep Stages
    Sleep Study
    Sleep Technician
    Sleep Test
    Sleep Testing
    Sleep Therapy
    Snoring
    Stress
    Studying
    Summer
    Support
    Support Groups
    Surgery
    Teens
    Tired
    Travel
    Treatment
    Vitamin D
    Weight Loss
    Winter Health
    Women
    Writing

    Amy Korn-Reavis, EzineArticles.com Basic PLUS Author
    Follow this blog
Photo used under Creative Commons from momentcaptured1
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Tips for Better Sleep
  • Tips for Students of Any Age
  • Tips for Making CPAP your Friend
  • Tips for Techs
  • Sleep Quiz
  • Coaching
  • Night shift coaching
  • Products to Help You Sleep Better
  • The Gel