Tips for a better nights sleep
Once you become a parent, sleep is one of those things that you seem to talk about endlessly and obsess about. Before I had kids I never thought about sleeping…. if I was tired I slept, simples. Then all of a sudden there is this small being that keeps shouting at you half of the night. Suddenly you’re more tired than you ever thought possible, yet when they’re asleep you find yourself unable to sleep – worrying if they are ok, or thinking about the zillion and one things on your to-do list.
Since becoming a Mama, I’m such a light sleeper, any little noise wakes me, and right now with a newborn, I find myself waking up listening for him and then being unable to sleep even though he’s snoring! {Or maybe because he’s snoring}….
I’ve been taking a few steps lately to try and ensure that I get as much sleep as possible, even though Vega is sleeping really well, with usually only one wake-up, my days are so crazy busy that I am constantly exhausted. Here’s a few things that have helped me:
* Switching off the TV/Tablet/Laptop/Phone – we’re all guilty of it right!? Going to bed then sitting up looking at our phone or tablet for hours… There have been nights I’ve spent hours mindlessly looking at pretty pictures on Pinterest after I’ve gone to bed. I’ve been making more of an effort lately to turn them off – ideally a couple of hours before bed, though I tend to watch TV in an evening while Vega is up, especially if the kiddos are in bed and G at work… I need a little company ;) I have been making sure that when I do get to bed around 11pm, I don’t start looking at my phone or tablet, I’ll read a chapter of a book instead or just put my light straight out and go to sleep.
* White Noise – not just for babies ;) I’ve actually just put this white noise app on my phone – the same one I have on a tablet that I use for Vega at night. I find in the silence I’m listening out for the baby, so if I have some white noise in the background it seems to help me switch off a little easier and drift off to sleep.
* New Mattress – we were still sleeping on the mattress we got when we got married, which was no longer very comfortable and seemed to make us both roll into the middle of the bed every night. I seemed to ache more getting out of bed than I did when I got in. We’ve just switched it for a Dormeo Memory Fresh mattress and even after three nights I can feel the difference. I first slept on a memory foam mattress at my brother’s house a couple of years ago, and have been wanting one ever since… it is amazingly comfortable – just like sleeping on a giant cloud! As well as having their CleanEffect treatment to help banish bacteria and dust mites, it also has silver fibres for permanent antibacterial action!! I think this has made the biggest difference to how well I’ve slept lately – as soon as I’ve crawled into bed, I’m so comfortable I’ve fallen asleep in minutes. We’re planning on getting Dormeo mattresses for the girls bed too. The convenience of buying mattresses online means selecting the perfect mattress is just a few clicks away, ensuring that you can enjoy the comfort that will transform your sleep.
* Lavender – Either a lavender bag under your pillow or some homemade lavender spray can really help you to drift off at night.
* Getting outdoors – the days when we’ve spent more time outside are the days I sleep better. All that fresh air coupled with moving our bodies really does make for a better nights sleep.
* Turn the lights off – I sleep better in a dark room, heavy curtains, door shut tight, screens turned off.
* Make the bed in a morning – it might sound crazy, but it’s much nicer to climb into a bed that’s been made than a jumbled up duvet {at least I think so!}
What are your top tips for getting a better nights sleep?
post in association with Dormeo
10 Comments
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Jodie Fisher
March 17, 2015 at 09:12I always make it to bed but hubby works from home and tends to go up there and mess it up half way through the day.
76sunflowers
March 17, 2015 at 17:49I’m also pledging to switch off ipad/phone an hour before going to bed and getting out a book :) And definitely getting into a made bed beats a duvet pile!
Jess @ Along Came Cherry
March 17, 2015 at 18:05We love our Dormeo bed, it’s the most comfortable thing I’ve ever slept on! x
Angie
March 17, 2015 at 18:09Our biggest tip for a good night’s sleep is to have the baby in bed :) I have no idea if Isaac feeds in the night because I don’t wake up :) (Don’t co-sleep with a memory foam mattress, of course)
Kathryn
March 17, 2015 at 21:17I find a bath and lavender oil is good too. I know I sound like an old fogey but my gran got me into Horlicks from an early age and that’s part of my bedtime routine now too (goes off to get zimmer).
Lia
March 18, 2015 at 10:53I really need to invest in an eye mask as I sleep with the door open so I can hear the kids and all the light comes in – not good!
Fiona
March 18, 2015 at 15:40That is so true about the made bed! I have had to ban myself from checking emails at night, E always wakes up at some point and I used to check my emails, read a work one and then lie there stressed for hours. So now, if E wakes up, I am not allowed to touch my phone. No matter what. Though I do miss pinning in the early hours… x
Adele @ Circus Queen
March 18, 2015 at 20:34I’ve been committing more to sleep lately and it’s really been an eye-opener. I’ve been basically sacrificing my quality of life for the sake of a few stolen hours here and there. One big one has been cutting down on sugar and caffeine. I’m finding that’s helping me sleep much better. I need to throw some exercise into the mix too, though.
Lori
March 18, 2015 at 23:44Ooh I’d love to try the white noise app, I once had a white noise machine in a hotel we stayed at in Paris and I loved it! x
Sister Love - Enchanted Pixie
June 3, 2015 at 08:40[…] they had the biggest room as they were sharing}, and as we have a new bedbase coming to go with our new mattress, they are actually going to have our old king size bed to share for now. We just got them this […]