As a mom you perform many roles for many different people, including being a parent, a partner, a caregiver to sick or elderly relatives, a close friend to lean on and a valued employee who carries out an important function for a company. It is a lot of responsibility and very demanding, which no doubt leaves you exhausted by the end of the day!
For this reason, ensuring that you get between 7-9 hours of good quality sleep every night is an important way to keep yourself healthy, rested and mentally resilient – if you can get it.
Unfortunately, for many women, particularly those with new-borns or toddlers, sleep-deprivation comes with the territory of being a mother. Moreover, it is only exacerbated among those who also have to, or choose to, work on top of their parental responsibilities.
So, what happens if you can’t sleep when you really need it the most? Here are 10 strategies that can help you get the good quality slumber you need.
Why is sleep important?
Apparently, former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – who supposedly survived on four hours of sleep every night – is believed to have said, ‘sleep is for wimps’.
But nothing can be further from the truth. Without question, sleep is a vital function that everyone, especially mothers, needs. Not only does it help your body to rest and repair itself, but it can also stave off the threat of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and even early death.
In addition, it can trigger poor mental health, mood disorders, performance deficits and poor memory, while for mothers, it also increases their chances of suffering from postpartum depression.
Sleep Tips for Sleep-Deprived Moms
If you are currently a mother who is sleep-deprived, here are some strategies you should implement to counteract it.
1. Sleep while the baby does
If you have a newborn baby, the chances are they will sleep for up to 16 hours a day. While they might wake up a few times in the night, for a mother, it is a good tactic to try and sleep when they do.
Generally speaking, babies nap frequently from anywhere between 30 minutes to a good four hours. Therefore, you should take advantage of the window of opportunity they provide you with to get some shut eye.
For some women, taking naps might be hard, particularly if you have household chores or paid work to do. But if you are able to catch an hour or so of sleep at various points throughout the day, it can at least go some way to making you feel more refreshed.
2. Schedule sleep time
If you are not comfortable sleeping when the baby sleeps during the day, a good alternative is to schedule a specific sleep time.
Essentially, this involves you falling asleep at a particular and regular time when someone else, like your partner or a family member, can look after your child(ren). This could be anything from a couple of hours before your partner goes to sleep to the middle of the afternoon when your parents can babysit.
If the children can be out of the house or asleep when you are trying to snooze, then all the better. You will be less likely to wake up if you know they are otherwise occupied.
3. Stick to the same bedtime every night
When it comes to night-time, it is important to try and go to sleep at the same time every evening. Doing this will synchronise your internal body clock into a pattern that will help you sleep and wake up at the same time.
The more consistent you are at going to sleep at the same time every night, the more it will enhance your chances of getting a good quality slumber. In addition, it will also help to regulate vital bodily functions like your metabolism and the production of hormones, which influence your overall health and well-being.
4. Establish a Bedtime Routine
Establishing a consistent bedtime routine can go a long way towards helping you get a good quality of sleep. As well as going to bed and trying to wake up at similar times on a daily basis, you should take steps to prepare yourself for sleep.
This could include having a warm shower, listening to relaxing sleep music, reading for a short time or practising deep breathing. Doing this tells your body to wind down and can reduce your levels of anxiety and stress.
Additionally, you should avoid looking at your smartphone, iPad or TV for about an hour before you intend to sleep. This will reduce the chances of blue light emissions disrupting your melatonin production, which is the hormone responsible for managing your sleep-wake cycles.
5. Create a Comfortable Environment to sleep
It doesn’t matter how tired you are, if your bedroom is not conducive for facilitating good quality sleep you are going to struggle to get it. For this reason, you should try and make your bedroom as cosy as possible.
The first thing you should do is make sure the bed and bedding you are sleeping on is as comfortable as you need it to be. In addition, you should also take measures to ensure that the levels of noise, temperature and darkness in your room are where they need to be to help you sleep properly.
At the end of the day, the more pleasant a sleep environment you create for yourself the greater the chances of you achieving good and prolonged quality slumber in it.
6. Reduce Your Stress Levels
Whether it is as a parent or an employee, we all face stress in our daily lives. However, it is important to manage them properly if you want to achieve regular, good quality sleep.
Unfortunately, chronic stress can cause havoc to our sleep patterns, which can result in you finding it hard to fall asleep and subsequently end up grappling with your thoughts all through the night.
As a result, you should regularly complete activities that are designed to reduce stress, including yoga, Non-Sleep Deep Rest Techniques or meditation. Not only do these practices help to ease tension, reduce your levels of stress hormones and calm your mind, they also create an ambience that can help you achieve good quality and prolonged sleep.
7. Exercise
One of the best ways to set yourself up for getting good sleep is to exercise.
Engaging in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper, more restorative sleep. However, it’s important to time any workouts you do wisely.
Generally speaking, you should finish exercising at least a couple of hours before bedtime. This is because exercising too close to when you want to go to sleep can actually keep you awake, due to increased heart rate and adrenaline.
One of the best exercises for sleep-deprived mothers is walking as you can take your child(ren) with you, particularly if they are in a pram. Alternatively, swimming laps or jogging are good options too if you find yourself with kid-free time.
8. Watch What You Eat and Drink
What you eat and drink can have a significant impact on the quality of your sleep. Therefore, you would be well advised to avoid eating large or heavy meals just before you go to sleep as this can result in you suffering from stomach discomfort or indigestion, which in turn can make it harder to sleep.
At the same time, you should reduce the amount of alcohol and coffee you drink just before you go to sleep. As delicious as they might be, these substances can disrupt your body’s ability to unwind and progress through the restorative stages of slumber.
If you are hungry just before bed, eat some turkey, almonds or fatty fish and drink Chamomile tea, Lavender tea or cherry juice, as they have been found to help you sleep better.
9. Manage Sleep Disorders
For many adults, the reason they are chronically sleep-deprived is because they or their partner has a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. This can be particularly frustrating and even put a strain on your relationship.
As a result, it is essential to ask for professional help if you or your loved one suffers from a sleep disorder. If you do, the chances are you will be given a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine that comes with a mask.
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start through the night, significantly disrupting your sleep cycle. The CPAP mask is a medical device that delivers a continuous stream of air pressure to keep your airways open during sleep. Wearing one improves the quality of your sleep by preventing the interruptions caused by sleep apnea.
Ultimately, it can promote better sleep, which provides you with more energy during the day, subsequently enhancing your overall well-being and reducing daytime fatigue. See CPAP Direct for more information about sleep apnea and the treatment options that are available.
10. Don’t Bring Work Home
Given that we live in a digital age, it can be very tempting for mothers to bring work home with them, especially if they have to leave the office early to pick up children from school or kindergarten. However, this can set a dangerous precedent as it can cut into your sleep or rest time.
It is important to maintain a boundary between your work and home life as doing this provides you with more opportunity to switch off and relax. If your employer allows you to carry out your job from home, you should impose a strict time of when you will finish working. Make sure it is at least a couple of hours before your bedtime otherwise you could find yourself burning the candle at both ends.
Final Thoughts
Getting good sleep is crucial for anyone, but especially for mothers who wear many hats.
Sure, it might seem very difficult to get good sleep if you are currently in a cycle where you are struggling to do so. However, you should rest assured that there are some things you can do to improve your chances of getting the magical 7-9 hours of sleep you need every night.
Adopting the strategies outlined above will go a long way towards helping you achieve good sleep. All you need is an open mind and to be willing to give them a go.
