Sleep. It seems to be the one thing that we need the most yet get the least. How many nights have gone by checking on the kids, making sure their stuff is ready for the next day, doing the dishes, and even sneaking in some late-night work to get ahead just to look up only to notice that it is after midnight and you need to get up at 5 a.m.? We all understand how important sleep is for our health, but do we know why? What is it that sleep really does for us that makes it such a vital part of who we are? Being a working mother already has its challenges because your attention is being divided between work and family. However, trying to handle all your responsibilities without the proper amount of sleep is a reality that many face, which makes handling those responsibilities more difficult.
Why Sleep is Important?
When we are asleep, we do so in two alternating stages about every 90 minutes. Those are Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM). NREM is important for our physical bodies promoting muscle growth, healing of cuts or bruises, the release of important hormones, and the restoring of energy. REM sleep, on the other hand, is vital for psychological health and proper brain functions.
Sleep, or lack thereof, can have a significant impact on a person’s physical health, attitude, and emotional response to various aspects in their life. Some studies have shown that parents, who are sleep deprived, are more likely to adversely respond to negative stimuli such a misbehaving child or an issue at work. The amount and quality of sleep we get can also influence how we see situations and deal with stress. Unfortunately, you have a couple obstacles that need to be conquered when it comes to sleep. First, women are up to three times more prone to having sleep issues than men. Also, because women tend to exert more mental energy throughout the day, they need to sleep longer for their brains to regenerate. All the more reason why proper sleep is so important.
How to Sleep Better
Now that we understand why sleep is important, what can we do? There are a number of things you can do to help you drift off into a restful sleep. Here are ten ways to help you take control and improve your sleep.
- Stay on a Schedule – One of the simplest things we can do to improve our sleep is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Yes, on days off as well. A schedule will put your internal clock into a repeating rhythm and you will notice that you will get tired around the same time at night and be able to fall asleep more readily when that time comes.
- Use a White Noise Machine – One of the big reasons that we wake up in the middle of the night is because of the noises that are happening all around us while we sleep. Whether it is a creaky house or a windy storm, noises that we deem out of ordinary can wake us up and disrupt our much-needed sleep. Most of the time we do not even remember waking but the effects are felt when we feel tired the next morning. The best way to think about what a white noise machine does is it raises a person’s tolerance against unimportant noises reducing the instances of waking in the middle of the night and contributing to uninterrupted sleep. There are tons of white noise machines on the market but we were sent an AuCuTee white noise machine and it’s a must have! It has low to high modes and timed settings.
- Limit Screen Time – Who doesn’t love to catch up on their favorite Netflix shows or scroll their Facebook timeline before bed? But so can cause you to have difficulty falling asleep. Studies suggest that the blue light from electronics having negative effects on sleep and ca also cause other issues such as headaches or eye pain.
- Reduce Caffeine Intake – Although this seems like a simple adjustment, moms live for a great cup of coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant and ingesting anything with caffeine in the evening is a sure-fire way to keep yourself up looking at the clock watch time tick along.
- Engage in Physical Activities Daily– We all know that daily exercise has many health benefits, but it can also have a huge impact on how we sleep at night. Daily exercise can be a tall ask for a working mother, but there are always ways to sneak it into the things we are already doing. Ways to inject more active behavior can be using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking in the farthest parking spot from the building, and walking to places close by instead of taking the short drive. Bottom line, more activities during the day helps to promote better sleep when the time comes.
- Make Sure Your Bed is Right for You – The one piece of furniture most important to you is your bed. In a perfectly rested world, we would all be spending eight hours a night on our beds, so making sure that it is right for you is an important investment. Like you do with buying a car, shop around, do research, and test out different types and brands until you find the one that is right for you. The improvement in your sleep will be worth the added effort. Also, don’t forget having one or more comfy pillows as well.
- Get the Temperature Just Right – There’s nothing worse than waking up out of your sleep because you’re too hot or too cold. Make sure that the temperature is set just right for you. Also, use covers that keep you warm in the winter and cozy in the summer. We were sent a microfiber bedding set by Latest Bedding and it did just that, providing a sleep that was not too hot or cold.
- Relax Before Bedtime – More accurately, create a relaxing regime for the end of your day before you go to bed. Taking the last hour of your day to do relaxing activities such as taking a hot bath or shower, reading a good book, or using that foot massager you got for Christmas, are great ways to lower your stress, calm your mind, and prime yourself for a great night’s sleep.
- Limit Food and Beverage Consumption Close to Bedtime– Eating and drinking late in the evening can have disruptive consequences when we are trying to sleep. Sugar or caffeine can keep us awake and a full belly can cause discomfort, not to mention needing to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
- Evaluate the Lighting in Your Room– We often don’t consider the amount and type of lighting that can be found our bedrooms. In most cases, when we are in our bedrooms, it is night time and dark outside. However, if your room is prone to getting direct sunlight very early in the morning or you live in an area where light can readily shine in, you may want to consider getting blackout curtains which will help to keep the room dark. A darker room will facilitate longer, more restful sleep. While there are many types and brands out there, I have found heavier blackout curtains really help with sleep.
- Avoid Naps – While a nap can be a great way to rest during the day and be a luxury for some of us, it may wreak havoc on your night-time sleep. If you find yourself needing to take a nap, try to do so earlier in the day and only for a short amount of time. In the end, anything more than a 20-30-minute nap can cause you more harm than good.
You work hard for your family, and it is important that you take the time to care for yourself as well. Getting proper sleep is a huge part of caring for yourself. One key aspect about sleep to keep in mind is you must find what works best for you. Sleep is a very personal experience and what works for one person may not necessarily work for someone else. If you are not getting the type and quality of rest you need, other aspects of your life will be affected. While not all the suggestions may work for you, trying a few of tips can have a significantly positive impact on your sleep.
Always remember that if you’re experiencing issues that you feel are out of the ordinary or that are concerning you, see a medical professional for help. There are many doctors and clinics out there who can diagnose and help treat any sleep possible problems you may have.
Do you have any comments about sleep you would like to share or additional tips for getting better sleep? Have you had any success with using one or some of these tips? We would love to hear from you!
