Keeping a routine during school holidays

We all worry about our kids’ routines during the school holidays, but what about our own? Routine is important when it comes to sleep, especially with our wake times.

So, whilst school holidays can present an opportunity to relax a little, there are steps you can take to help ensure the break doesn’t impact on your sleep. 

Here are my top tips for keeping a routine and maximising your chances of quality sleep during the school holidays.

1. Set an alarm every day. Even if you have nothing to get up for, getting up every day at your normal time is important. If you get up late and spend too much time in bed, then your natural appetite for sleep will weaken, leaving you wide awake at nighttime.
   

2. Stay active. This one shouldn’t be too hard if you have little ones to run around after! Fresh air and exercise are important for giving us energy. So, if you’re not sleeping well, you can get your energy elsewhere. Avoid doing nothing because you are tired, and instead set small goals to keep yourself moving.
   

3. Keep to an evening routine. This doesn’t have to be strict or lengthy, but avoid spending too much time indoors or staring at screens. Top tip? I recently saw that by turning the colour off on your phone so it is greyscale makes it much less appealing and helps you to stop the scroll!
   

4. Don’t drink too much alcohol. When the sun’s out during a holiday, it can be tempting to drink more. Alcohol is a sedative, which is why those who have issues with sleep onset often find it a ‘useful’ way to drop off to sleep. However, this is not a healthy habit and while it may help us fall to sleep more easily, it actually negatively impacts the quality of our sleep. You may fall asleep quicker, but you will also wake earlier or in the middle of the night. As your hangover starts to kick in, dehydration or needing to use the toilet will wake you and it can be really hard to get back to sleep. You may then feel more tired during the day, so it tempting to go to bed early which can lead to further sleep issues as your body clock gets further out of sync.
   

5. Don’t spend too much time in bed. Don’t go to bed too early. When you are shattered from lack of sleep it is tempting to go to bed earlier but actually this makes the problem worse. You end up spending too long in bed, wide awake and creating a connection with your bed around anxiety. Instead, stay up a little later and set your alarm for the morning. The longer you are out of bed for, the stronger your drive will be to fall asleep faster when you go to bed.
   

6. Manage stress. School holidays can be stressful and it can feel like there’s a lot to do. Use a diary to plan your days. This can include personal time, time with the kids and working, so you can ensure you can focus on each task. 

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