Written By Julie Paiva, CHHC
With school starting back up, getting into a nighttime routine will help everyone in the house get a good nights sleep and prevent some of the morning chaos.  If you’re a parent, you know the nightly challenge: to get your kids to go to bed — and stay there. It’s not easy, but it’s one of the most important things you can do for them. Sleep is just as crucial to your health as a nutritious diet and regular exercise, and poor sleep can negatively impact your hormones, performance, and brain function.
Regular schedules and bedtime rituals play a big role in helping kids get sound sleep and function at their best. When you set and maintain good sleep habits, it helps your child fall asleep, stay asleep, and awake rested and refreshed which in turn helps parents get the same benefits. Routines can help take the stress out of bedtime, too.
There is no absolute right way to set up a bedtime routine. Some kids like to hear a bedtime story, others may want to talk about their day, and some may just want to say their prayers and go to sleep. As long as your child falls asleep easily and sleeps all night, then your bedtime routine is likely working well.  Do keep your bedtime routine fairly short. A good bedtime routine will probably last about 10 to 15 minutes, or a little longer if you include a bath. Make sure to avoid stimulating activities just before your bedtime routine. Especially if your child has trouble falling asleep, you should usually stop stimulating activities at least 60 minutes before bedtime, such as playing video games, watching TV, or talking on the phone.
Once you get your children to bed, here are a few tips to create a nighttime routine and help expediate your morning:
Prepare for the morning
Your bedtime routine doesn’t only have to include getting ready for bed. Make preparing for tomorrow a nighttime priority. Prep your breakfast and set up your coffee maker, lay out your clothes as well as the kids, pack your workbag and the kids snacks and lunches. You’ll sleep soundly knowing everything is in order.
Unplug
Put your devices to bed, too. Just as you give yourself a bedtime, set a shutoff time for all electronic devices. The blue light from our phones, TVs, laptops, and e-readers negatively impacts our sleep by disrupting our body’s natural circadian rhythm.
Clear your mind
There’s nothing more distracting than climbing into bed and remembering all the things you have to do tomorrow. Clear your mind each night by dedicating 10 or 15 minutes to journaling. Try free writing or keep a pad and paper by your bed to quickly jot down anything that comes to your mind. Avoid worrying about the following day’s tasks by making tomorrow’s to-do list at night or even before you leave work at the end of the day.
Read
Reading is a great way to relax before bed without exposing yourself to blue light. Consider reading a physical book or using an e-reader without backlight.
Gratitude
What are you grateful for today? Writing down a list of the days joys can help put your mind into a relaxing state.
Keep a consistent schedule
Try to regulate your sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day, even on the weekends. Your body’s circadian rhythm runs between sleepiness and alertness on a 24-hour cycle, which is why you may feel sleepy at the same time each day. When your sleep schedule is irregular, your cycle is thrown off; sticking with regular sleeping patterns will keep your circadian rhythm in check and help you sleep more soundly.
Be mindful of your daytime habits
Your nighttime routine doesn’t only include what happens when the sun goes down. In fact, your actions throughout the day can impact whether you have trouble falling and staying asleep at night. If you find yourself overly alert at bedtime, try avoiding caffeine late in the day, do away with your afternoon nap, and get moving. Regular exercise will help your body to sleep better at night.
