Are you struggling with getting enough sleep as a parent? Parenting isn’t always an easy job, and it can feel exhausting when you are not getting enough rest. You might be struggling with a baby that won’t stay asleep or with a toddler who insists on getting out of bed at all hours. With so many demands on your time and energy, finding a way to make sure you’re getting enough sleep can seem nearly impossible.
It is natural to wonder what the secret is to have a peaceful night’s sleep as a parent. While there are many things you can do to make it easier to drift off at the end of a long day, the key to achieving a good night’s sleep is to establish good sleep habits and create a calm and peaceful environment both in your bedroom and in your own mind.
Why Tired Parents Struggle With Sleep?
Parents tend to struggle with sleep for a number of reasons like physical and emotional exhaustion, stress and worry over the health and wellbeing of their children, the inability to switch off mentally, noise disturbances in the night, financial worries, or anxiety about their parenting skills. All of these can prevent them from getting the restful sleep they need to feel refreshed in the morning and have the energy to take on the day ahead.
Tired parents can follow these tips to get a better night’s sleep:
1. Establish A Consistent Bedtime Routine
While it can be a little challenging to have a consistent bedtime routine as a new parent, it is important to try to stick to the same bedtime schedule as much as possible.
When you have a consistent bedtime routine, your circadian rhythm, or your body’s internal clock, will know when it is time for you to wind down. You can think of it as teaching yourself to produce melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep, at the same time each night. With melatonin being released at a single time every night, your body and brain will both get the message that it’s time to rest and get some shut-eye.
2. Drink Chamomile Tea Before Bed
Chamomile tea is a great addition to a parent’s nighttime routine because it helps calm the mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep.
Chamomile tea is known to have properties that help to relax muscles, decrease anxiety and nervousness, reduce stress levels, and even improve sleep quality. While parenting is a fulfilling and exciting journey, sometimes you just need a little extra help to relax and get the rest you need. Chamomile tea can provide that help, as its calming qualities make it an ideal natural remedy for sleepless nights.
3. Avoid Caffeine And Heavy Meals Close To Bedtime
You can struggle to sleep if you’re overly stimulated from caffeine or too full from a heavy meal so avoid both of these close to bedtime.
Caffeine taken at the wrong time can disrupt your natural circadian rhythm, which can lead to a night that is spent tossing and turning in bed. The same can be said about heavy meals close to bedtime because digesting a large meal before bed can make it difficult to relax, as your body is still working hard to process the food you have eaten.
If you’re a tired parent, it is likely that you take the help of coffee or have meals spontaneously, but it is important to be aware of how these can impact your sleep.
4. Be Mindful Of Your Stress Levels
When your stress is running high, it can’t be easy to doze off into slumber so you need to keep a check on it.
When you’re raising a family, it can be hard to find time for yourself and decompress so it’s important to find ways to manage your stress levels. You don’t need to do it alone and it can help to talk to your circle or find people who understand your situation and can offer advice. Other things you can do include maintaining a journal to keep track of your feelings or getting regular exercise to reduce the amount of cortisol in your body.
Being a tired parent likely means that you’re overextending yourself at times and taking on more than you can handle. However, when you make the effort of creating space for yourself to find rest, you’re not only looking out for yourself but for your family as well.
5. Avoid Screens For At Least An Hour Before Bed
Screentime before bed can do you harm and mess with your circadian rhythm.
Being enslaved to devices can be detrimental to our sleep cycles and even lead to insomnia. Don’t just take my word for it, many scientific studies have concluded that avoiding screens within an hour of bedtime can lead to better quality sleep and improved daytime alertness.
As a parent, you should set a good example for others by setting a strict rule to turn off all screens at least an hour before bedtime and modeling this behavior yourself. It will help you get a better night’s rest and also benefit those around you.
6. Keep The Bedroom Cool and Cozy
The temperature in your bedroom should be just right for sleeping; if it’s too hot, you may find it difficult to get to sleep.
When you’re going to create a suitable bedtime environment that is cool and cozy, you create the conditions needed for great sleep. To start off, turn down the air conditioner a few notches so that it’s at least 17-21 degrees celsius. Next, don’t forget to make good of insulation; with thicker curtains or even thermal blinds, you’re able to create a cooler atmosphere for your bedroom even when the sun is blazing outside. Finally, investing in higher-quality bedding may sound unnecessary, but breathable sheets made from linen and cotton can help you stay cool and comfy far into the night.
7. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help you fall asleep as your mind begins to relax and wander away from stressful thoughts.
As a parent, you need to introduce mindfulness in your life to relax and focus on your breathing, which will help reduce stress, increase feelings of well-being, and make it easier to eventually drift off to sleep.
8. Introduce The Right Nightlight To Your Bedroom
With the right nightlight, you can ensure you don’t disrupt your sleep if you wake up in the middle for whatever reason.
A harsh nightlight can jolt you out of sleep and make it difficult for you to get the deep sleep your body requires. Say you’re a parent that is breastfeeding at odd hours, you can use a nightlight that emits just enough light for you to be able to see what you’re doing, but still, maintains the ideal dark environment your body needs for proper rest.
The Bottom Line
As a tired parent, getting sufficient sleep can seem nearly impossible. However, if you take the ti
me to plan ahead and create a sleep-friendly environment, you can make sure that you’re well-rested and able to handle the challenges of being a parent. You may need to take away caffeine or screen time before bed and make time for a relaxing wind-down ritual like taking chamomile tea. Other than that, you can also focus on introducing a nightlight that doesn’t disrupt your sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night.
References
Burch, Kelly. “Yes, Chamomile Tea Does Make You Sleepy – Here’s How It Can Help You Fall Asleep.” Insider, Insider, 26 May 2022, https://www.insider.com/guides/health/does-chamomile-tea-make-you-sleepy.
Cabré-Riera, Alba, et al. “Telecommunication Devices Use, Screen Time and Sleep in Adolescents.” Environmental Research, vol. 171, 2019, pp. 341–347., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.10.036.
Chellappa, Sarah L. “Individual differences in light sensitivity affect sleep and circadian rhythms.” Sleep vol. 44,2 (2021): zsaa214. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsaa214
Drake, Christopher, et al. “Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed.” Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, vol. 09, no. 11, 2013, pp. 1195–1200., https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170.
