Nurse Karen's 12 Tips for Good Sleep

Authors: Anne Morris, MD and Karen McBride, RN, October 2011
 
1. Getting a good night’s sleep is the foundation for physical and mental health, as well as for safety and learning. You can teach your children by your own behavior and example.
 
2. Strive for a regular sleep schedule with the same wake-up time and bedtime as much as possible every day of the week.
 
3. Recommended hours of sleep each day (includes naps for the little ones):
 

• Infants (3-11 months old): 14 - 15 hrs
• Toddlers (1-3 years old): 12 - 14 hrs
• Preschoolers (3-5 years old): 11 - 13 hrs
• School-age (5-12 years old): 10 - 11 hrs
• Pre-teens/Teens (12-18 years): 8.5 - 9.5 hrs
• Adult (18 years and older): 8.0 - 8.5 hours

4. In the evening hours, limit or avoid television and video or computer games. These lighted devices send the message “be awake” to the brain and will make it difficult to fall asleep when it is bedtime.
 
5. Turn off and take out of the bedroom electronic devices such as cell phones, televisions, and computers.
 
6. Create a sleep-friendly space: darkened and quiet bedroom, warm and comfy bedding, and cool room temperature. In the morning, seeing bright lights will make it easier to wake up and give the message “be awake” to the brain.
 
7. Follow a similar and relaxing bedtime routine every night: light snack if hungry, a warm bath or shower, read comforting books to young children. Teens and adults may enjoy reading or listening to low volume audio books or music.
 
8. Naps are best taken before late afternoon and kept to an hour or less.
 
9. Do exercise, but not within two hours of bedtime.
 
10. Younger children should avoid caffeine in general, and teens and adults should avoid caffeine by late afternoon, if not earlier.
 
11. Watch for signs of chronic sleep difficulty such as loud snoring, breathing difficulty, unusual nighttime awakenings, behavior problems during the day, and frequent daytime sleepiness. Let your health care provider know if these occur.
 
12. Check out these Sleep Resources for more information:
 
Nemours Foundation - a nonprofit organization devoted to children’s health
 
National Sleep Foundation - a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving sleep health and safety