Better Sleep For Back To School

I wrote this post as a Serta blogger. Compensation and products were provided. The honest opinions are my own.

School started here for Kora & Logan and it’s been quite a change in routine for us. Over the summer the kids were staying up until 10 or so and sleeping until 9. Well, except for the time Logan slept until 10:15! Kora is the early bird of the family and we had such an active summer that even she was sleeping in. This routine worked pretty well for Dave and I because we like sleeping in as well. However, now that school has started things have changed. That’s why I’m happy to be working with Serta to share with you some of my favorite ways to get better sleep for back to school.

Start Your Back To School Routine Early But Be Flexible

This tip is one that will really help at the end of summer and the start of the school year. About two weeks before school started we planned on getting the kids (and ourselves) to bed earlier. It was a good thing we started this far out because we had a few occasions where summer fun popped up and we found ourselves enjoying those last few late summer nights outside catching fireflies, eating s’mores, and making fun family memories. The times we did get everyone to bed early did help in the end and the kids were able to start their first few days of school with smiles rather than yawns. Since we started so early we figured having a few later nights mixed in helped us enjoy the end of summer and we didn’t feel as stressed when things came up, knowing we had enough time yet to get extra shut-eye.

No Electronics Before Bed

While I’m a tech blogger who enjoys all things electronic and I love watching tv at the end of the day to wind down, I make sure to keep the tech & gadgets off at bedtime. This goes for the kids too. Having the tv on can be distracting especially when you are forcing yourself to stay up to see what happens next. Having your phone or tablet in your hand checking on one last thing could lead to coming across an email or text that seems urgent at the time, but would be better handled in the morning after a good night’s sleep. On top of that, the glow from electronics when left on in your room is said to prevent you from falling asleep deeply and then you wake lest rested.

 The Mattress Makes A Difference

One of the keys to getting a good night sleep is making sure the bed is comfortable. This seems like a no-brainer but if you think about it, when was the last time your replaced your mattress or the mattress your child is sleeping on? When I visited the Serta headquarters we discussed how important it is to have a good quality mattress because you sleep on it every day. While it’s an investment, it is something that is used every day for multiple hours at a time. I was surprised to learn that many people are sleeping on old lumpy mattresses.

At that time I thought we were the only ones.

When I turned 16 my parents bought me a new bedroom set and mattress. Dave and I had been using that same mattress since. I’m embarrassed to say how old it was. Since the Serta trip we’ve been sleeping on the Serta iComfort Directions Epic Mattress with Adjustable Foundation and it’s been like night and day. The mattress is incredibly comfortable and it allows us to get better sleep which enables us to be much rested and to have more energy during the day.

We have on our list to replace Kora & Logan’s mattresses as well since they were hand-me-downs. A good night’s sleep is just as important for kids as it is adults and because they are growing they need a mattress that supports them properly.

Make The Room Cozy & Comfortable

At the end of the day your room should be cozy and comfortable. This is the same for kids too. Kora & Logan love to keep their beds full of their favorite stuffed animals and they are always all smiles when the crawl into bed. Books are piled high on their nightstands as well as a good light for the nights when they want to read a bit longer. Dave and I have turned our room into a beach themed oasis. We have beautiful pictures of palm trees, the Gulf of Mexico, sea turtle tracks, and our bedspread is even beachy.

We all love heading to our rooms at the end of the day and can’t wait to crawl into our cozy and comfortable beds. Finding the right pillow is essential as well and Serta has a great selection of iComfort pillows to choose from. When everyone wakes up in the morning have them quickly make their beds, it doesn’t have to be perfect but at the end of the day it is so nice to come into your room and see the bed all made up and ready to crawl into.

Afternoon Naps Are Trendy

Kora & Logan like to “sandwich” themselves up in our bed using the Adjustable Foundation. It’s cute but I’m not sure how nap friendly it is. :)

It’s true, napping when you are tired is becoming trendy. There are books, blog posts, newspaper articles, and studies about it. I’ve read that they are finding people are more productive after a quick nap rather than trying to push through the tiredness. Kora & Logan have long gave up a daily nap but every now and then if everyone seems to be extra tired I’ll have them rest for a little while and it makes all the difference in the world. I’m not the best at this yet but I know when I’m sick, a good nap can get me through the day.

With back to school season here everyone is doing what they can to get back into the routine. These are some of the ways we’ve been working on getting better sleep for back to school. What about you? What are some of your favorite back to school sleep tips?