We've all heard that sleep is important, but how many of us actually prioritize it on a daily basis? In addition, how many of us actually have a bedtime "turn down" routine?

Odds are, most of us are guilty of not paying enough attention to how we actually approach our sleep hygiene. In all honesty, I am guilty of this. For far too long I would fall asleep on the couch in the early evening, hours later barely making my way up the stairs for bed. It usually left me either too alert to fall back asleep, browsing on my phone, or if by some miracle I did fall asleep, waking up the next morning I felt groggy and unrested.

Now, enter the new chapter of parenthood. Getting adequate sleep is still a challenge; however, what I've chosen to focus on is what is within my control to get rest regardless of the unpredictable schedule of the baby waking up during the night.

With that said, if we pay attention to our little one's, what we will see is just how much they rely on a bedtime routine for restful sleep. If infants and toddlers need it, we all need it too.

Below is a list of tips to try:

- (If possible, work schedule permitting), try to finish eating dinner a minimum of 2 hours prior to going to sleep, this gives your body time to digest your meal before drifting off for the night.

- Go to sleep at a reasonable time. I know it's hard especially for some of us who consider ourselves to be "night owls," try pushing your bedtime up even by 30 minutes. The evidence in support of the benefits for our physical and mental health are vast..

- Go to bed at approximately the same time, your body will begin to recognize this as routine.

- In the evening try to create a "calming" environment, one where your lights are dimmer than normal - this helps the pineal gland turn the switch on to begin producing melatonin which is our sleepy hormone that lowers our body temperatures for bed. Some people may choose to dim the house lights, some light a candle, others may buy glasses to block any blue light.

- Incorporate a relaxing routine even if all you have are 10 minutes (meditation, stretch, take a bath, wash your face, drink some tea, listen to binaural beats, to name a few).

- Put away all electronics a minimum 30 minutes before bed (preferably 1 hour if possible). - - if your cell phone is your alarm clock, set the alarm early on and put the phone away from your bed where you will not be tempted to check it. Better yet, you can buy an old fashioned $10 alarm clock off of Amazon!

- Lower the temperature of your room. Naturally, our bodies prefer to sleep in a cooler environment (plus, it's linked with some anti-aging benefits, helps with insomnia and stress reduction)…and who doesn't want that?!

- When you crawl into bed, lights dim, turn to good old fashioned reading.

- If you are the type of person whose mind races to compose "to do lists" in bed - have a pad of paper & pencil near your bed to jot down your bullet points!

All of the suggestions above are free and easily accessible to all of us. Our nights are imperative, they don't just end the day for us, but they set us up for the next day.

What's your favorite bedtime ritual? Comment below and let me know!