If you want to fall asleep, the experts say the solution is the same whether you’re 3 years old, or 73 years old!
Let’s face it – most 3 year olds aren’t calm and serene. They’re over stimulated – but so are we as adults! So pediatric emergency medicine physician Dr. Hasan Merali, says we should all have the same routine.
Have a set bedtime. Dr. Merali says, data shows regular bedtimes teach your body and brain to expect sleep at a certain time, so your sleep-inducing hormones kick in.
Also, take a hot bath or shower about 90 minutes before bed. According to a comprehensive study by the University of Texas, a hot bath or shower significantly shortens the time it takes to fall asleep. That’s because our body temperature needs to drop before sleep, and a hot shower dilates your blood vessels, speeding up that process.
Then, apply lotion – just as you would to a baby. In studies, when infants received a bedtime massage with lotion, they experienced longer periods of sleep. And the same thing is true for adults.
Finally, engage in a quiet activity. Reading a bedtime story to a toddler outs them right to sleep. And you can calm your own brain by reading. Dr. Merali says language-based bedtime routines are “associated with longer nighttime sleep duration.” Translation? Reading will help you sleep more soundly.
