Sleep Well
Tips and Resources
The pandemic creates many challenges for sleep, which is vital for maintaining good physical and mental health. Check out the resources listed below to find ways to make your sleep more effective, even during times of stress.
Tips
General
- Make regular sleep a priority
- Consistent wake and bedtimes will help you get better sleep and be more productive
- Get exercise during the day to help sleep at night
- Use your bed only for sleep
- Try practicing sleep relaxation exercises
- Avoid going to bed too hungry or too full
- Limit caffeine intake, especially before bedtime
- Avoid high-stimulation activities before bedtime
- Restrict use of screens in the bedroom
- Talk to your doctor about sleep concerns
For Teens
- Teens aged 13-18 should get 8-10 hours of sleep nightly
- Ask your teens how you can help support good sleep hygiene
- Consider implementing restrictions on screens beyond a certain time of night
- Help your teen avoid drastically different weekend sleep schedules
- Try a simple, cheap alarm clock to remove the need for cell phone alarms (and thus sleep-disruptive cell phones at nighttime)
For Kids
- Kids aged 6-12 should get 9-12 hours of sleep nightly
- Consider a reward system to encourage a good sleep routine
- Put children to bed when drowsy, but awake
- An active, regular daytime schedule can help kids relax and go to bed more easily
- Enforce bedtimes, especially on school nights
For Infants and Toddlers
- Ages 4-12 months should get 12-16 hours of sleep per 24 hours, including naps
- Ages 1-2 years should get 11-14 hours of sleep per 24 hours, including naps
- Keep your baby safe during sleep. Always put your infant on their back to sleep
- If you are waking up during the night to feed your infant, take naps when they do during the day
- With an infant at home, it’s important to say “no” to added responsibility and say “yes” to help. Prioritize your sleep
Napping
