Occupational Therapy Department
Sweet Dreams
Peaceful sleep, makes us feel happier; reduces our risk of infections, makes
pain easier to live with and increases our enjoyment of life.
So what can I do to help me sleep better?
Getting your mind and body as relaxed as possible during the last few hours before bedtime,
has a significant effect on your quality of sleep.
Here are a few practical tips. Tick those you are willing to try and do this every night for at
least 3 weeks to see results.
DO:
Get your bedroom ready for sleep
Make sure your room is tidy, so that it feels relaxing at bedtime. ☺
Make sure you are comfortable in bed. Tell you parents if your mattress is too hard or too
soft. ☺
Ask your parents to wash your duvet and sheets regularly, so it smells lovely and fresh. ☺
Try to make your bed - it gets rid of irritating wrinkles. ☺
Warm your bed to make it nice and cosy.☺
Use curtains/blinds that block out all the light. ☺
Get your body ready for sleep
Try to go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning
so that your body gets used to a new routine. ☺
Occupational Therapy Department
Make sure you do relaxing things the hour or two before bedtime e.g. having a warm bath,
reading a relaxing book or listening to music. ☺
Be active during the day, so that you are physically tired by bedtime. Exercising during the
day also helps your body to relax. ☺
Get your mind ready for sleep
Get your homework done as soon as possible after school and pack your bag ready for the
next day, so that you can relax for the rest of your evening. ☺
Try to share any worries you may have with someone you trust. Don’t bottle them up!
Keeping a diary also works very well for some people. (Your occupational therapist can
provide more information on how to do this.) ☺
If you are lying awake or wake up exhausted every morning, try some relaxation
techniques before going to sleep. ☺
DON’T:
Have caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime (e.g. coke, coffee, tea and chocolates).
Drink anything after 8pm. This may prevent you from needing the toilet during the night.
Listen to loud music or watch scary/exciting TELEVISION programmes
before going to bed.
Have a TELEVISION in your bedroom and avoid turning the
TELEVISION on when you can’t sleep.
Clock watch. If at night you are restless for a while – get up and do some restful activity in
another room until you feel sleepy enough to return to bed.
Sleep during the daytime.
Wishing you many restful nights
Occupational Therapy Department
So what are relaxation techniques?
Relaxation can be achieved in different ways for different people and it is therefore important
to experiment and find out what works for you.
Your occupational therapist can help you to explore the different techniques available to relax
your muscles and mind.
Our senses can be very helpful in helping us relax e.g.:
Smell:
Use of essential oils. 2-3 lavender drops can be very effective.
Sound:
Natural sounds e.g. rain, waterfalls or other gentle music.
Vision:
Watching fish swimming, lava lamps, etc.
Touch:
Favourite fleeces/soft pyjamas/ cuddly toys/a soft pillow or a warm bed.
If you would like to learn some relaxation techniques, please speak to the Occupational
Therapist working with children and young people on 01865 737551.
If your difficulties continue after you’ve tried this for 3-4 weeks, it may be helpful to discuss
this with your therapist, doctor or another member of the team.
Occupational Therapy Department
Occupational Therapy Department