If you are the parent of a small child or even an older one, it is easy to understand why it may be hard to get a good night’s sleep. Today’s moms have a lot on their plate, and a lack of quality sleep is something that happens all too often. Here are some suggestions for improving the quality of your sleep.
Make Your Bed as Comfortable as Possible
For better sleep, your mattress should be as comfortable as possible. When you have kids, an expensive mattress is a luxury that very few can afford. However, there is no need to strain an already-burdened budget with a new mattress. If you don’t have enough to get a new mattress, instead see into getting a luxurious comforter instead (think a sewn-thru or baffle box down comforter). Be sure to look into the variety of comforters available, such as lightweight, year-round, or winter styles depending on the climate that you live in for ultimately comfort. But at the end of the day, you can use couple of folded comforters placed under the bottom sheet make a lumpy bed feel softer and more inviting. Throw some extra pillows on the bed, and you’ll feel like you’re sleeping in a hotel.
Keep the Room Dark and Turn Down the Thermostat at Night
To get more restful sleep at night keep the room dark and turn down your thermostat. According to Sleep.org, the thermostat should be set between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimum sleep. The reason for this is that our body temperature decreases at night and sleeping at lower temperatures tends to encourage more restful sleep.
Avoid Caffeine after 3:00 pm
Coffee, tea, and soda all contain caffeine and tend to interfere with sleep when consumed too close to bedtime. Late nights are often used to catch up on work, connect with friends on social media and have a little time for yourself. Having a relaxing cup of tea or coffee while you work or catch up is tempting if you do have some make sure to have it at least 6 to 7 hours before bedtime so as not to hamper your sleep efforts. If not you could lose about two hours of sleep because of it.
Schedule Time for Sleep
This means making a schedule for everyone to get to sleep. During the summer, parents of toddlers and teens relax their bedtime routines a little because there is no school. This is perfectly acceptable, but moms need some time to wind down at night as much as kids do. Schedule the kid’s bedtime a couple of hours before yours so you feel like you can turn your “parent” clock off for the night. Kids get enough sleep by having a consistent bedtime, and the same thing applies to moms and dads as well. You don’t want to suffer from sleep deprivation, which could entail daytime sleepiness, disorganization, anxiety, impaired judgement, and mood changes. Create a bedtime routine that works for everyone in the family by making sure all of the day’s work is done before dinner, and that everyone has a set way to wind down from the day’s stress.
Let Go of the “Mom” Guilt
One reason moms have trouble getting to sleep at night is that it is hard to shut off the day’s chatter in your head. You find yourself thinking about that argument you had with your son about cleaning his room, or you have approaching deadlines at work. It is hard to let go of some of the guilt we feel as parents, and that can carry over at night when we try to sleep. One way to silence those thoughts is to deal with situations as they arise, so there are no racing thoughts to keep you awake at night.
