Motherhood. One of the greatest gifts we can ask for, right? We’d sacrifice anything for our little ones – our bodies, our social lives and even our health. Because who needs sleep when you’ve got that little person smiling up at you?
Come oooooon. You can’t be serious! Being a mom is wonderful, don’t get me wrong…but it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, either. The gift of motherhood can often feel more like a curse; especially when you haven’t slept more than 2 hours straight in as many months.
It’s true that we may never feel comfortable in a bikini again. That’s fine. And social lives can be altered to fit our new baby-centric lifestyles – soon coffee mornings and play dates will trump nights out by far. But we should not be sacrificing our health by giving up our sleep. Because sleep deprivation has all kinds of physical and mental repercussions…and honestly, a sleep-starved zombie doesn’t a great mom maketh!
So here are a few ways in which you can get a better night’s sleep – to help you have more energy come morning.
1. Take shifts
We’re all modern folk here. And thankfully, the days are long gone when all the responsibility that goes with kids falls on the mom’s shoulders. So make sure to take shifts when it comes to night feeds. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, maybe you could take the weekday shifts and your partner could handle the weekends. Or you could alternate nights. Whatever works, just make sure that a) you’re not doing all the shifts and b) you don’t rotate shifts on the same night – there’s no point in you both having a crappy night’s sleep at the same time!
As your little ones get older, leave it to Daddy to handle story time. Research shows that men may actually be more capable of this task; and it helps them to bond with bubs, too. Meanwhile, you can enjoy some winding down time and an early night…bliss!
2.Find an evening routine
Speaking of down time, make sure to carve some out for yourself – if not every evening, then at least a few times a week. Turn off that tv and phone at least an hour before bed so that your mind isn’t overstimulated, have a long bath and maybe do a yin yoga class or a lying down meditation to help you relax further.
Tired moms often question why they can’t sleep when they feel so exhausted; this may be because they’ve only just put their kids down and they’re worrying about when they’ll wake up, or they’re planning activities for the next day. By taking this time to truly settle your mind before bedtime, sleep is much more likely to come when you seek it.
3. Get fresh air
Eating healthily and getting enough fresh air/exercise are really important factors in helping us get enough sleep. And while in pre-motherhood lives this may have been easy to achieve, things aren’t so simple once children are involved. You may find yourself housebound for those first few weeks, feeling and looking like a nervous wreck. It gets harder and harder to face the outside world and you find yourself turning down invitations due to the amount of effort it’ll involve.
But really, you should be getting out and about whenever you can. Not just for the sake of your sanity but for your sleep, too! If you’ve been cooped up inside all day, it’ll be much, much harder to get to sleep – and the same goes for your little one.
So visit a friend’s house, run some errands or take bubs out for a push in the stroller. If you need some ‘you time’, get your partner to step in while you enjoy the fresh outdoors for a while. Even a 20-minute walk around the block can make all the difference!
Bonus tip…Embrace the art of napping
If getting a decent night’s sleep seems out of the question, well there is one way to stay more rested during the day: taking a nap. Not just the forte of infants and the elderly, none of us should forget the strength of a good ol’ power nap. If you’re a new mom, people will tell you to ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’. It’s sound advice, and definitely something you should pay attention to. So don’t get fixated on doing the laundry, or cooking meals, or sending out ‘thank you’ cards for those baby gifts – get some rest when you can. You deserve it.
And don’t forget to ask for help from your loved ones…there is nothing wrong in saying you’re exhausted and you need a break! Let them take charge while you pop upstairs for a much-needed snooze fest, and come back down feeling like a new person.
So if you’re a tired mom, don’t worry – this too shall pass.
Follow the tips above or check out The Sleep Advisor for more sleep-related pearls…and snooze your way to a healthier, happier day.
Thank you to the Sleep Advisor for more sponsoring this conversation and sharing sleep tips.
