If, like us, you’re currently the mother of a teenager, then you know they’re typically not morning people. In fact, before the hour of 10 a.m., they’re pretty much the opposite of morning people. Walking zombies, if you will. Because, for us, that morning alarm clock struggle is all too real, The Local Vault has teamed up with Duxiana and the Greenwich Chapter of Start School Later in a contest designed to raise awareness for the importance of a good night’s sleep, and SSL’s mission of pushing back school start time by an hour.

The “Give Me My Hour Back” contest, which coincides with  springing ahead early next week, encourages Greenwich middle and high school students to track down the school’s mascot–who will turn up asleep in various locations throughout town over the next four weeks–then take to social media and post photos and snapchats of themselves with the cardinal. The prize? A complete, sleep-inducing bedroom makeover from TLV and Duxiana!

While there’s only one contest winner, there are plenty of things all parents can do to ensure their kids’ rooms are conducive to a good night’s sleep. Here are a few tried and true tips we’ve learned through our participation in Give Me My Hour Back:

1. Take out the TV. Kids these days. It’s like they can’t go 10 minutes without looking at a cell phone, computer or television. And while it’s hard to limit access to devices that are so central to all of our lives, if there’s one place you put your foot down about limiting screen time, it should be in your kids’ bedrooms. For one, laptops and televisions pose a temptation at bedtime–one study by the University of Alberta reported that 57 percent of children polled admitted to using electronics after they were supposed to be asleep. At the same time, entertainment devices deter from the perception that a bedroom is a place of rest.
2. Choose soothing colors. According to principals of Feng Shui, light, cool tones like pale blue, sage green, and soft white are naturally relaxing, and therefore make an ideal choice for a soothing, sleep-inducing bedroom space. Shades like red and orange, on the other hand, are energizing and should be avoided in bedroom design.
3. Get the right mattress. One of the reasons we’re teaming up with Duxiana? The mattress your kids sleep on can play an integral part to how much shut eye they get, and how deeply they rest when they are asleep. According to a study by  Research Triangle International, which followed 128 subjects as they slept on seven different mattresses over the course of four years, even a small difference in firmness and support made a difference in the subjects’ perception of restfulness and pain reduction.

For more on the  “Get Your Hour Back” Contest, click here  or contact [email protected]

And keep an eye out for that cardinal!