Kool Mumz- Tips for getting a good nights’ sleep

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done a Kool Mumz blog post so today I’m writing about a question I’ve seen asked quite a bit this past week on social media. ‘How can I get a good nights’ sleep?’ this is an issue I’ve personally had to deal with so I want to share what has worked for me.

Being a mum there is so many things going through your head and its truly difficult shutting off at night. Just like children, it’s helpful to have a routine to get your body in sleep mode- grab a pen and paper and write down ways you think will help improve your sleep and it might be even more helpful listing the reasons why you believe your sleep is suffering.

When I wrote my list of problems, the thing on the top of my list was…. Yep my phone! So let’s get started…

Bedtime? I go to bed when I want!

In the introduction I mentioned that routines are helpful for adults just as much as children for sleep, by going to bed at the same time and waking at the same time each day your body clock gets into a rhythm- before I started doing this I would need an alarm to wake me and now my body naturally wakes unless the kids wake first.

To help determine a bedtime, take note of when you normally feel tired, you might find that you’re letting yourself get overtired which is affecting your sleep.

I’m not going to lie this was difficult, setting a bedtime doesn’t fix everything since there really is no point of setting one when you’re just going to be tossing and turning for hours anyway- the other tips in this blog post will help with having a bedtime where you can switch off and deep sleep.

NO Electronics in the bedroom

I can’t stress this enough, do not take your phone into the bedroom at night- seriously this should be number one thing you change. When I’ve seen people online asking how to get a better night sleep: the first thing I ask is if they’re taking their phone into their rooms at night and the answer is always yes. So no excuses about needing it for the time- get a clock! (be sure the clock is facing away from you, even that light can hinder sleep)

Also 2 hours before bed- try to limit bright screens, this has been difficult for me since when the kids all go to sleep I like to jump on Facebook and catch up with the day and before I know it, it's after 11 and I’m over tired. I have changed this routine by reading a chapter of a book an hour before going to bed.

I also have removed the TV from my room, even though I never have it on- I really wanted to remove all electronics and since leaving my phone on charge overnight in the kitchen I have had a huge improvement with my sleep.

Do not use screen time as wind down time

Make an inviting place to sleep

Bedroom makeover might help, remove all clutter, and make sure your bed is comfortable and made. Did someone say a trip to Kmart?

One thing I added to my room was a fan, I don’t know if it’s because of the light air or the noise but it works.

A no brainier

I don’t drink coffee but anything containing caffeine should be limited to the mornings only, an afternoon caffeine drink can affect sleep. Try a nice relaxing camomile tea, yes I know it’s not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ but give it a try.

Heavy foods at night are not the best either since your body has a hard time digesting it, makes sense since your body is trying to slow down so if it needs to digest heavy foods it’s going to have a hard time.

Mindfulness: Clear your thoughts

Mindfulness is amazing, it’s not only great to keep you in the moment during the day but helps sleep. I know I said no electronics in the bedroom but I would skip that till you get a Mindfulness body scan down. (No that’s not a free pass to Facebook!)

There are many free mindfulness body scans you can try on YouTube. A simple 10min Mindfulness body scan will leave your body relaxed but most importantly it will clear your mind. Try mindfulness meditation tonight and let me know if you make it to the end before you fall asleep.

Now that I’ve been doing a body scan before bed for some time now, I can do it without the recording.

There are many other ways to relax and calm your mind before bed- finding a relaxing exercise such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation will make a huge difference.

Make relaxation the goal, sleep with follow

Set yourself up

Have everything that needs to be done tomorrow written down, have the school lunch’s ready, clothes picked- this might help your sleep by having less to worry about.

Taking steps to improve your sleep will take time so stick to your routine and don’t give in too soon. If you feel you have tried everything, please speak to your doctor- lack of sleep and stress can really impact your life.

Sweet Dreams heres to sleeping like a baby!