8 Ways to get a better sleep (especially if you are a mom)
Sleep is so vital for us to be able to function and get through our days. If you are a mom like me, you’ll probably agree that it is insanely hard to get done all you need to get done if you are running on only a few hours of sleep. Do you want to know how to improve your sleep? I’ve got some ideas for you.
Once upon a time, when my kids were younger and so was I, even though there were times I didn’t sleep much due to crying babies or sick toddlers, I would fall asleep fairly quickly once my head hit the pillow.
But then, a few years ago, as I inched closer and closer to 40, I didn’t fall asleep like I did before. No matter how tired I was some days, I’d lay in bed for hours looking at the ceiling. My body just did NOT want to sleep.
Night after night this was happening, and it was wearing on me. I had to find a way to fix things.
Now, I’m going to be upfront with you – there are nights I still don’t sleep well – usually if there is a big worry in my life (somehow it’s always related to my children) or if I was out at a social event late into the evening and have too much adrenaline pumping still.
However, those nights are now few and far between. More often than not I actually fall asleep within a reasonable time.
I say reasonable time, but it’s still not as fast as my husband. 5 minutes in and he’s sleeping. He has a physically demanding job as a carpenter though, so I’m sure that has a lot to do with it. He’s just EXHAUSTED by bedtime.
But I’ll take falling asleep within 20 to 30 minutes compared to it taking 4 or 5 hours (and it really has at times.)
It’s hard to be positive and happy when you are so tired throughout the day. So today I want to share with you some tips I’ve learned along the way in an effort to improve my sleep.
8 WAYS TO GET BETTER SLEEP
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Get a white noise maker.
This is single-handedly the thing that has improved my sleep the most. I’m a light sleeper and I hear EVERYTHING. That means if one of my kids sniffles 4 rooms over, I’ve probably heard it. This was really preventing good sleep for me. Once I got a white noise maker I wondered why I took so long to get one.
I literally take it with me everywhere I go now. If I’m staying at a hotel my white noise maker comes with me. They aren’t even that expensive too and there’s plenty to choose from. Mine has many different settings of sounds, even different fan sounds.
Invest in a weighted blanket.
Weighted blankets are pretty popular now and for good reason. Some of us enjoy that extra pressure on us while we sleep. I will say that sometimes, depending on how warm it is, it’s actually a hindrance to me. But other nights it’s just what I need to sleep. My daughter on the other hand uses her weighted blanket most nights and it helps her sleep.
Try to avoid late night social events.
For some this won’t be a big deal, but I’ve noticed if I’m out too late or visiting with people close to bedtime I can’t sleep once I crawl into my bed.
I think this is because I’m thinking more about the conversations we just had and can’t shut my brain off. It doesn’t matter if it was just a really good time, suddenly I’m wide awake for hours.
Now, if I’m planning something with a friend I try to do earlier in the day. Of course, that doesn’t always work out, but when it does I tend to have a better sleep that night.
Turn off the screens an hour before bed.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m always failing at this one. We live in a time where we are surrounded by screens, and frankly before bed is a good time for me to get some work done because my kids aren’t up.
However, screens prevent our brains from shutting down. Of course, this one probably isn’t new knowledge for you – we all kind of know this one and yet we all keep looking at our screens before bed!
If you can cut back before you go to sleep though, you may find your sleep improve.
Keep your room cool.
I always find I sleep better in a cool environment, rather than a hot room. Crack open a window, put on a fan (this can double as a white noise maker) or use blankets that are breathable.
Make time for exercise.
I always find when I incorporate exercise into my daily routine I sleep better. I wouldn’t recommend exercising right before bed as that might have the opposite effect, but regular exercise earlier in the day seems to have an effect on sleep quality.
The truth is, when I’m struggling to fall asleep night after night there’s a good chance it’s at a time I’m more sedentary in my life.
Limit your caffeine intake.
Of course, this is another one that I’m sure will come as no surprise. Too much caffeine keeps us awake. I think it kind of hits out of nowhere – one day we are young and it doesn’t matter if we’ve drank a cup of coffee right before bed, we fall asleep anyways.
And then one day you discover you can’t sleep if you’ve drank any coffee after 4 o’clock. I personally try to avoid drinking coffee after 2 p.m.
Go to bed at the same time every night.
When we get into a routine our body learns to expect certain things to happen at certain times. Try going to bed at the same time every night, as well as waking up at the same time every morning.
Over time this could improve your sleep because your brain will tell your body that you go to bed at that time every day and so it’s time to sleep.
You don’t have to accept that you can’t sleep
I had gotten to a point where I would say, “well, this is just how I am now. I don’t sleep.” If you are willing to change some things up there is a good chance that it will improve your sleep, at least somewhat.
Life is stressful and tough at times and it can affect our sleep greatly, but then a lack of sleep can increase your stress levels and it can become a never-ending cycle.
There are so many benefits to better sleep, including reducing stress, but also helping keep our bodies strong to fight off seasonal threats. It’s worth it to try and improve your sleep quality if you are lacking in that area. We can only run on little sleep for so long.
