When it comes to sleep; Darker is Better!

One of the first things I ask my clients is if their little ones rooms are dark; and I mean are they 3am on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere dark?
If not, that is one of my first I recommendations, you need to make their rooms black dark for all sleep situations, all year long.

Having your child's room dark has many benefits when it comes to sleep. Darkness can help prevent early morning wake ups, help prolong naps, as well as help to maintain much needed early bedtimes when the seasons change (and it's still daylight at 7pm); just to name a few. 

But it is clear that sleeping in darkness plays a much bigger role
when it comes to our health.​ 

How?
....

​According to Richard G. "Bugs" Stevens (Professor, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut); "Today most people do not get enough sleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called insufficient sleep an epidemic.
While we are finally paying attention to the importance of sleep, 
the need for dark is still mostly ignored.
Being exposed to regular patterns of light and dark regulates our circadian rhythm.
Disruption of this rhythm may increase the risk of developing some health conditions including obesity, diabetes and breast cancer." 
In addition Stevens points out that; "light regulates our sleep and wake patterns.
The physiological processes that control the daily cycle of sleep and wake, hunger, activity levels, body temperature, melatonin level in the blood, and many other
physiological traits are called the endogenous circadian rhythm." 

Why is this so important?
​Stevens goes on to explain that; "during the night, in the dark, body temperature drops, metabolism slows, and the hormone melatonin rises dramatically. When the Sun comes up in the morning, melatonin has already started falling, and you wake up. This natural physiological transition into and out of night is of ancient origin, and melatonin is crucial for the process to proceed as it should."  Read Stevens full article here. 

So what do we do? 
BLACKOUT those windows!!
Of course there are many ways to do this. Usually regular old blinds aren't enough. On a scale of 1-10; 10 being the darkest;
your rooms should be a 10/10; this goes for your rooms too mom and dad.  
To be honest in my boys rooms I currently have regular blinds as well as blackout curtains and towels across the top
of the curtain rods to stop the light from coming in. Not the easiest of options lol.

 That is why I am so excited to try out Blackout EZ Window Coverings.
A number of my colleagues use them personally and recommend them to their clients. 
I cannot wait to get mine!

Here's a litle bit more about Blackout EZ Window Coverings from their website:
​  "We offer an effective window blackout product that keeps 100% of sunlight out of a room. They come in pre-cut or custom sizes in different color combinations of white or black. Our blackout window treatments are cost-effective and easy to install. They can be removed and re-applied as many times as needed. Blackout EZ window covers are a great choice for a variety of situations, including: night shift workers, parents of small children, movie enthusiasts, homeowners looking for energy efficient window covers to reduce heating and cooling costs, and more."
Click the link below to get yours!
​
Erin Neri

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About the Author

​I am the mother of two amazing little boys who did not come pre-programmed with the skills to sleep well independently. I knows how hard it is to function on little to no sleep, I understands how this impacts your ability to be the best version of the mom that you want to be. This is what led me to become a Certified Sleep Consultant and the founder of To The Moon and Back Sleep Consulting.  I am also a member of the International Association of Professional Sleep Consultants. I have a background in Psychology and have worked with families and young children in many different settings for over 19 years.  One of the best parts of my job is seeing the impact that TEACHING their little moon bugs healthy/independent sleep skills has on the momma's!!
"Life Changing! I am a better mom!"