September brings the close of summer, back to school mania and the end of sleeping in. I’m often asked by moms/women with ADHD how to get into a better sleep/wake routine but even with the best intentions, it can still be incredibly difficult to wake up in the morning.
The first step is to get you and your kids into a routine! If school starts after Labor Day, start getting the kids into bed about 15 minutes earlier each night. Get them to wake up a little earlier each morning, too.
Discuss a plan for bedtime and morning routines (now!) so you don’t walk into a disaster come September 8. You almost always will get better results when you include your child in the planning.
Lots of kids- and adults- still have trouble waking up. Ask your pediatrician (or your own doctor, if this is a problem for you) about waking up an hour early to take your morning meds, then going back to sleep. Many parents find their kids wake up ready to go once the meds have kicked in.
If all else fails, use a new system that forces you OUT of bed. One idea I like is purchasing multiple alarm clocks and putting them throughout the room and setting the alarm about 10 minutes apart. One clock needs to be far away from the bed, forcing you or your child to get OUT of bed in order to turn it off.
I have some great clocks in my store that are perfect for the heavy sleeper.
When Clocky goes off, it jumps right off the bed stand and onto the floor. You have to chase it down to turn it off. This in particular is great for kids who appreciate the fun of the chase. It also eliminates the need for mom or dad to keep pestering them to wake up.
The Shake Awake Vibrating Alarm Clock is great for the very deep sleeper who doesn’t even hear standard alarm clocks go off. Just like it’s name implies, it shakes your bed to wake you up.
Find these and other great items, all personally hand-picked to help you with your time management challenges in the time management section of my store.