Dr. Montgomery's Dozen Sleep Hygiene Tips

......when experience matters

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Dr. Montgomery’s Dozen
Sleep Hygiene Tips

1.    Build a bedtime routine:
    a. Set a regular time for bed and stick to it.
    b. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as giving your child a warm bath or reading him or her a story.
2.    Make after-dinner play time a relaxing time. Too much activity/excitement close to bedtime can keep children awake.
3.    Avoid feeding children big meals close to bedtime.
    a. Dietary changes can cause sleep problems, if someone is struggling with a sleep problem, it's not a good time for dietary changes.
     b. Avoid giving children anything with caffeine within six hours of bedtime. And, remember, chocolate has caffeine.
4.    Set the bedroom temperature so that it's comfortable – not too warm and not too cold.
5.    Make sure the bedroom is dark.
    a. If necessary, use a small nightlight at night.
    b. Expose your child to natural sunlight soon after awakening in the morning to help set their circadian rhythm.
6.    Keep the noise level low.

7.    Avoid naps during the day;
    a. Naps can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
    b. The younger the child the more developmentally appropriate are naps for their well-being.

8.    Exercise can promote good sleep.
    a. Vigorous exercise should be taken in the morning or late afternoon.
    b. A relaxing exercise can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night's sleep.

9. Ensure adequate exposure to natural light. Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

10. Try to avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to go to sleep. Don't dwell
on, or bring your problems to bed.

11.   Associate bed with sleep. It's not a good idea to use the bed to watch TV, listen to the radio, or read.
    a. Have a "buffer zone" between TV and computer use and bedtime allows for a winding down time before sleep. This also makes it less likely
that you will have to negotiate "one more TV program" or "one more computer game" before bedtime.
    b. An additional recommendation is that children not have TVs in their bedrooms.

12. Review with your child’s physician whether there are any medicines (such as some asthma medicines and decongestants) that may be interfering with the quality of your child’s sleep. Don't be afraid to ask about alternatives.

Today's Resource Tips: This handout is available in Adobe Acrobat pdf format for download

Garfield and the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research have teamed up to bring you information on sleep and how it helps kids do their best at whatever they do. The site has several forms, including a sleep diary, that are easy to download and use.

Developed based on information available from the National Institutes of Health by Robert W. Montgomery, Ph.D., www.behavior-consultant.com, (770) 591-9552 2/2004

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