Top tips to support your sleep.
- rina73
- Feb 12, 2024
- 6 min read
I’m pretty sure that every single one of us was told to sleep as much as possible in those months leading up to motherhood. Because apparently, after that, sleep would go out of the window for the foreseeable future. So many of us prepare ourselves for the fact that sleep deprivation in motherhood is normal and something we just have to accept.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you will have the luxury of sleeping like a baby when you have a tiny human to look after. After all, newborns need regular feeds and nappy changes and just don’t have the capacity to sleep for long durations. However, one would hope our sleep would return to normal after some time. After all, how long are we expected to sacrifice this basic need? This is when I started to delve deeper into the matter and was shocked to come across this research conducted in 2019[i]. They found that even four to six years after having a child, parents, especially mothers, had not managed to get back to their original sleep quality or sleep duration.
I am here to tell you that sleep is not a luxury but an absolute necessity for everyone! It is most important to our mental and physical wellbeing and cannot and should not be compromised. We all know mothers tend to fare worse than fathers in terms of sleep after having a child. So here are some simple tips to incorporate into your lifestyle to support your sleep.
Sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene refers to certain behaviours and practices that promote healthy sleep. Research has shown that good and consistent sleep hygiene can significantly improve the quality and duration of sleep and overall health and wellbeing.
Fresh air
Getting a daily fix of fresh air and daylight has been proven to have many benefits. In particular, sunlight helps to regulate the internal body clock and promote sleep. I suggest aiming to spend an hour outside each day. A 30-minute walk in the morning and another between 13:00 and 15:00 is ideal. If you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, it might be worth sitting near a window with the blinds open for extra light exposure.
Exercise
Physical activity may be the last thing you feel like doing when you are sleep-deprived. But regular exercises such as swimming or even a gentle walk can work wonders for our sleep quality, latency, and duration. Where possible, avoid exercising in the last few hours before your bedtime.
Diet and caffeine intake
Juggling motherhood and life isn’t easy. As mothers, we often put the needs of our children first and sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. But I can’t emphasize how important it is for you to eat well. A healthy, balanced diet is vital for your wellbeing and will support your sleep too. Skipping breakfast is not recommended as it can lead to unstable blood sugar levels. In addition, having your dinner too close to bedtime can negatively impact your sleep. It's best to give yourself at least 2-3 hours between your last meal and bedtime, as this will give your body enough time to digest the food.
Now, let’s talk about our best friend coffee. For so many of us, it is our lifeline and helps us on those sleep-deprived days. However, we all know that caffeine is a stimulant that blocks the adenosine receptors and negatively impacts our sleep quality. So, if you are struggling with sleep, try to cut out caffeine-containing food and drink within 6 hours of bedtime.
Screen time
Now I know that so many of us need a little daily escape, whether scrolling through our phones or watching a Netflix show. And I’m not telling you to give this up by any means. All I’m saying is that if your sleep is suffering, try unplugging from technology an hour before you sleep. It could dramatically improve your ability to fall and stay asleep, so it might be worth trying.
If you’re in the early days of motherhood and navigating night feeds, it can be so tempting to turn on your phone or tablet during the night whilst nursing your little one. I want you to switch this up and listen to calming music instead. It will make it much easier to go back to sleep afterwards, especially as every minute of sleep counts. For those of you who aren’t feeding round the clock but are still having disturbed sleep, whether this be due to your little one waking up or you struggling to manage a long stretch naturally, please don’t reach out for your phone. Whether you want to check the time or scroll, neither will benefit your sleep. I personally found that placing my phone at the opposite end of the bedroom really stopped me from reaching for it in the middle of the night, making the process of falling back to sleep a little bit easier.
Bedtime rituals
I know that the last thing you want to think about once your little one goes to bed is a long and drawn-out bedtime routine for yourself. However, incorporating a few simple rituals into your bedtime routine can help you feel calm and relaxed and promote sleep. Your bedtime routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. A warm bath, a short meditation, or even reading a book before bed is enough to remind your body that it is time to sleep. Doing it at the same time each evening can help make it a predictable and enjoyable part of winding down every day. Do bear in mind that consistency is key when it comes to forming new habits and seeing results.
Darkness
It is very important that your bedroom is conducive to sleep. By ensuring that your sleep space is as dark as possible, it will support your circadian rhythm. If you can install blackout blinds and blackout curtains, they will really promote a dark environment. Another suggestion would be to wear an eye mask to bed, as it would block out early morning sunlight and really help you to optimise your sleep.
White noise
Did you know that white noise positively impacts our sleep as well as our children’s? As it masks external noises that could potentially wake us from our lighter sleep, playing white noise at a safe level throughout the night can be really useful. Recent research now suggests that pink and brown noise could be more beneficial, but the matter of the fact is that all options are great.
Bedroom temperature
A cooler bedroom temperature will be more comfortable for sleeping, so anywhere between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius is ideal.
Consistency
One of the most effective ways to encourage the body to sleep well is to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Now I know it requires a bit of dedication to do this, especially on weekends, but having this regularity can work wonders for sleep.
Other sleep advice
Now, if you have a young baby waking up multiple times during the night, I want you to step back and remember that you can ask for help. Have a discussion with your partner and figure out a rota that works for you both, where you can share the nighttime responsibilities of your little one. Whether you take turns waking up or your partner takes over after you have nursed your baby is up to you. But please don’t feel you must shoulder all the responsibility night and day. Remember, even if you aren’t going out to work, motherhood is a 24-hour job!
Once you have figured out your night shifts with your partner, you can do a couple of things to ensure that the stretches of sleep you get are of quality. You might want to consider keeping the baby monitor on your partner’s side for when it is their turn to wake up with the baby. You could even take it a step further and sleep in a different bedroom to maximise your sleep quality. However you decide to tackle the nights, please know that your sleep is as important as your partner’s.
The newborn stages are usually the most challenging, so everyone tells us to nap when our baby does. I know this isn’t always practical, but I want you to listen to your body and nap when needed. Let me share with you that The National Sleep Foundation found that just a short 20-minute nap can enhance mood and alertness, so it is well worth it. Of course, once you start to get longer stretches at night and your baby is a bit older, napping during the day could have the opposite effect, so it would be worth steering clear of sleep during the day.
Some of you may have a support network which can be incredibly helpful when you have a new baby. While it's natural to want to do everything yourself, it's important to recognize that you don't have to do it all alone. When friends or family members offer help, accepting their offers is okay. While they care for your little one or prepare a meal for you, you can take a few precious moments to rest and recharge.
Now the last thing I want to touch on is prioritising an early night. It can be so tempting to want to stay up a bit later, but maximising on your sleep can provide you with so many benefits.
I hope my sleep tips manage to give you the sleep you need to feel your best! Sweet Dreams my fellow mums.
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