back to better sleep habits

This post is sponsored by Natrol, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

It’s still hard to believe that the back to school season is upon us! In our house, that means we also have been working on getting back to better sleep habits after a summer full of travel, late nights, sugar rushes, and too much fun! Anyone else ever notice how anytime you travel, you have a hard time falling asleep in a new place? My whole family encounters this, so enter Natrol® Melatonin, the #1 drug-free sleep aid brand in America^ and my go-to mom hack.

While we’ve been traveling this summer, my husband and I have also been working, which just means a lot of juggling when it comes to parenting responsibilities, keeping the kids busy, and, let’s face it – trying to keep any sort of “normal” routine. Our latest beach vacation is rubbing right up against the start of back to school, so I knew I needed to be proactive by getting their bedtime routines in place while still on vacation.

I think we all know that sleep is important, but did you know that a good night’s sleep of at least 8+ hours is imperative to our cognitive functioning, immune health, and mood?† And kid’s developing brains need even more sleep than adults!  All of which the kiddos will need to earn an A+ when school starts, and all of which are further supported by the Natrol Sleep+ line of powerful sleep blends with extra ingredients for added benefits.† That’s why we started getting back to our Sleep Smart routine during our trip, which includes:

1. Establish a regular early bedtime for the kids, even when there was still some lingering daylight.
2. To help them fall asleep faster, we shut off screens at least one hour before bedtime.
3. We get the room as dark as possible, either with blackout curtains or these sleep masks I bought for me and my daughter.

Did you know that melatonin is naturally produced in the body to help regulate our body’s sleep-wake cycles? Darkness triggers natural melatonin production in our bodies, but things like longer summer daylight hours and evening screen time can prevent our brains from producing the necessary amount of melatonin for a good night’s rest.

In addition to a regular bedtime routine, when the kids are feeling extra excited from a fun day at the beach, or anxious for the first day of school, I turn to Natrol Melatonin products for the whole family, which have helped us all fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.†

My kids love Natrol’s 100% drug-free Melatonin Gummies, which are also vegetarian, non-GMO, and free of corn syrup or artificial dyes, and they have a great tasting berry flavor. I personally prefer the Fast Dissolve tablets which can be taken before bedtime, no need for water! But Natrol also has Fast Dissolve tablets that are kid-friendly too (for ages 4+)!

With the help of Natrol Melatonin products for the family, getting back to our bedtime routine has already helped us have better, brighter days with less grumpiness and more productivity! I know this will carry us into a great school year too.

I know for me as a parent, after the last year of constant disruptions to our school schedule, routines, finding a new normal, and then things changing again, we are welcoming a somewhat familiar “normal” school year and getting back to our routine as a family, including back to better sleep habits once again with open arms! Getting back to our regular bedtime routine has been helping our whole family Sleep Smart and feel less anxious about the school year ahead.

How are you preparing to go back to school and get back to better sleep habits this fall?

*Melatonin is a solution for occasional sleeplessness †

^Nielsen, xAOC, 52 weeks ending 07/17/21