Among my family and friends, one of my children was notorious for how little he slept. Not just as a baby but well into his toddler years too. I was the Mom filling up cup after cup of coffee to get through the day and hoping no one asked me hard questions that would require my brain to really work. Hopefully for most of us, those times of little sleep come and go so we can usually get a passable amount of sleep. Moms have seasons of life when they are up at all hours of the night with their kids. We also have seasons of life where, with a prayer of hope, we can go to bed and can wake up the next morning without having been interrupted at all in the night.
Woohoo! Let’s have more of that!
Depending on how old your kids are, and how often they are scared or need things at night, you don’t really know which nights you’ll be able to slumber peacefully and which nights you’ll be up 3 times. (Or more!) That’s why, especially for Moms, we should do everything we can on the front end of the evening to –
ensure a restful night of sleep so that when we DO have the chance to sleep – it is good quality sleep.
Getting enough sleep and getting good quality sleep can go such a long way in having the patience and emotional energy to be our best selves – with our kids, with our husbands and with our jobs.
It also helps us to think clearly, be able to remember things more easily, stay motivated to eat healthier, and to feel more positive and happy.
All awesome reasons to get some shut eye, if you ask me.
The Sleep Tips
The biggest factors to control to get a good night of sleep are: your body chemistry, your environment, your ability to breathe and your state of mind. Let’s tackle each one.
Your body chemistry
You will sleep the best if you have not had a large dinner, have limited your alcohol that day and have not had coffee after mid-afternoon. In addition, you may want to consider a supplement to increase your calm for sleep. Magnesium is a mineral that promotes quality sleep and estimates are that less than 30% of adults are getting enough of it. This formula: “Natural Calm” is specifically designed to promote calm and relieve anxiety. Start by dissolving 1 tsp in a glass of water before bed. You can gradually work up to 2 tsp in your glass of water at night. You may also try a dose of melatonin, which is the sleep hormone your body produces. It is available as a supplement.
Your environment
A cool room is the most conducive to sleep. Consider turning on the air conditioning or a fan to cool things down before bed. Turn off the TV and hide your phone and laptop about an hour before bed. The blue light in these devices blocks the melatonin production in your body, so you feel less sleepy. When you take a break from them before bed, it allows your body to begin to prepare for sleep by gradually increasing melatonin, allowing you to feel more sleepy.
Your ability to breathe
You may have laughed a bit at this one, but it is something to consider! If you have allergies or a stuffy nose, your breathing will be restricted all night and you will sleep less soundly (and maybe snore more). There are two things that work really well to open up your nose to breathe easily for more restful sleep. Breathe right strips are one. They stick on your nose and open your nasal passages to allow you to breathe easier. The other thing is to put a drop of essential oil under your nose or on your chest, that is designed to help you breathe easier. Here’s one I’ve liked: RespirAid. (Why I love Plant Therapy Oils)
Your state of mind
One of the biggest inhibitors of sleep is when you have worries and thoughts racing through your head before bed. Give those thoughts a place to land. Write down anything that is concerning you. Once you have written it down, you can feel better that you will remember to tackle those items the next day. This will allow you to relax, reduce how fast your brain is moving, and wind down for a restful night of sleep.
Sleeping better at night gives us such a leg up on the next day. Your peace of mind will be stronger, and you will be better equipped to handle anything the day can send your way.
You deserve a good night of sleep! Try out a few of these tips to see how your body and mind can benefit from better sleep.
More resources:
- If your kids need help sleeping, you can get melatonin in kid friendly doses, like here.
- This is a great essential oil that is safe to help kids sleep.
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Disclosure: some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a commission at no cost to you.
Photo by Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash
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