Last week the boys were on Spring Break. While we didn’t plan a lot of travel adventures, we did plan a lot of fun at-home things to do. For example, we played UNO, had an indoor picnic, wore glow sticks to have late-night ice cream out, etc.
The week was a lot of fun, but returning to their regular school and sleep routine came with its challenges. Thankfully, the boys both have comfortable rooms and beds, which allows them to get to sleep a little bit easier.
Having a Comfortable Room or Space
In fact, multiple parenting websites explain how important it is for children and teens to feel comfortable and safe at night. To ensure that the boys feel safe and comfortable at night and in their rooms, we make sure that the temperature feels good at night and they are not too cold or too hot. Doing this usually means they are likely to get to sleep faster, especially after a nice warm shower before bed.
Having a Comfortable Mattress/Bed
In addition to this, it’s important for the boys to have a comfortable bed to sleep in. In fact, a few months ago, we upgraded my teen son from a twin-size bed to a queen-size bed because he had grown dramatically in a matter of months. He went from being in the five-foot range to the six-foot range. And, in short, the twin bed in his room was no longer fitting.
Imagine being a growing, six-foot-plus football player and trying to get a proper’s night’s sleep on a twin bed. Very challenging to say the least. Wouldn’t you agree?
Bed in a Box
With that in mind, sleeping on a regular-size, twin bed added no comfort to the situation at all. Thankfully, we found a solution with a boxed queen-size mattress which was delivered right to our door in a manageable box.
What I love about ordering a mattress in a box is that there is very little work for you to do. You order the mattress online and the mattress is shipped right to your doorstep.
From there, you simply open your box and allow it to roll out to size. You can then choose to place your mattress on your choice of mattress foundation – which I appreciate.
For example, you can choose to put your mattress on a box spring, platform, slatted base, or adjustable base. We chose a simple, slatted base frame that allows for optimal support, as long as the slats are not more than 4” apart – which they aren’t.
Adding A Memory Foam Topper
My younger son, on the other hand, has a very nice mattress that is not a boxed mattress. He still fits very nicely in his bed, however, we are considering adding a memory foam topper to his bed for extra comfort until he is ready to transition to a full-size or queen-size bed. If you are unfamiliar with memory foam toppers, they instantly improve your sleep thanks to targeted comfort zones, perfectly targeted for all sleeping styles.
Being intentional and making these adjustments will help the boys to improve their sleep hygiene overall.
Final Thoughts
Knowing that sleep is fundamental to our health, we make it a family priority to get enough sleep. Additionally, making sure that the boys follow a sleep schedule, have a comfortable space, and choose a comfortable mattress for our children gives us the reassurance that they will be able to get a proper night’s rest throughout their school years and as they grow.
Regardless of what stage of life we are in, we all need good sleep, especially throughout the childhood and teen years.
This post is in partnership with Intellifluence.
