Night Night Sleep Tight

With all of the physical and emotional stress that a body going through puberty endures, sleep becomes as important as it was when your daughter was an infant.  Remember those days…you probably had a bedtime routine that involved a bath, a book (or two or three or four), a song, and then lights out.  These familiar steps helped lull that tiny baby to sleep.  Believe it or not, it is a great idea to teach your preteen or teenager to have her own bedtime routine.  Going through the same wind-down process every night will signal to the brain that rest is on its way.  

In addition to the bedtime routine, keeping electronics out of the bedroom can help with the quality of sleep.  It is almost impossible to resist the temptation of a screen when it is within arm’s reach in the middle of the night.  Replace electronics with a book or journal if your child has frequent nighttime awakenings.  

Another way that you can support her in good sleep hygiene is not letting her get overscheduled.  You can help control the number of commitments she has thereby helping control the time available for sleep.  

A good night’s sleep will help in so many ways!  It will help with focus, ability to absorb new information, energy level, and physical fitness.  Please make a good night’s sleep a top priority!

-Dr. Nancy