Solving The Sleep Deprivation Dilemma
Did you know that up to 1 in 10 Americans find it difficult to sleep? If you toss and turn at night or you can’t remember the last time you woke up feeling energized and refreshed, you’re not alone. Sleepless nights affect us all from time to time, but in the long-term, sleep deprivation can have negative consequences for your health and wellbeing. If you don’t get enough sleep or you dread that familiar feeling of being wide awake in the early hours, here are some tips to help you solve your sleep deprivation dilemma.
Adjusting your routine
If you’re a mom, the word routine is probably cemented in your brain. The trouble is that parents tend to focus their energy on getting their kids into a regimen and avoid giving their own sleep habits the same level of attention. Sleep routines aren’t just important for little ones. Your body has an internal clock, and if you’re getting up and going to bed at a different time every day, your body clock is going to be out of kilter. You’ve probably noticed that your children start to get clingy and cranky as bedtime approaches and you know exactly when it’s time to run the bath and get their PJs out. Just as they can adapt to a routine, so can you. Start setting a time to go to bed and wake up every day and you should notice a difference. Your body will get used to this new system, and you should find that you start to feel tired as bedtime approaches and that you feel more refreshed when your alarm goes off in the morning. Ideally, you should aim for around 6-8 hours of sleep per night.
Getting comfortable
When you get into bed, how do you feel? Do you sink into the mattress and embrace that blissful feeling of comfort and coziness , or does it take you an age to get settled? If you’re tossing and turning, it may not always be stress, noises or worrying about your kids that keep you awake. Your inability to wind down and get comfortable may be linked to your mattress. If you’ve had the same mattress for years or you find your bed too hard or too soft, swapping your mattress could work wonders for your sleep quality. There are hundreds of different products out there, and it’s well worth doing some research and reading some reviews. You can learn more at mattress-guides.net . It’s also a good idea to try before you buy. Everyone has different preferences, so take a trip to the store, sit and lie on different types of mattress and see which styles and brands suit you best. Investing in the right mattress could help you sleep better and reduce the risk of back pain.
Sleeping on your own
As a parent, you’re likely to encounter many a night when you have visitors to your bedroom. Although we all want the best for our kids, it’s really beneficial to try and avoid getting into a habit of having older children sleep with you. Most parents find that they sleep much better when they’ve got the bed to themselves, or they are sharing with a partner rather than having an extra body in the middle. There are times when you’ll want to have your children with you, for example, if they’re feeling poorly or they’ve woken after a nightmare, but try not to make co-sleeping a regularity once your kids are old enough to sleep in their own room. If you’re having difficulty encouraging your child to sleep alone, you may find this article helpful http://www.parenting.com/article/how-to-get-your-kid-to-sleep-in-her-own-bed.
De-stressing
How often do you get into bed with thoughts whizzing around your mind at a hundred miles per hour? If you find it tough to switch off, you feel anxious, or you can’t seem to relax, try and incorporate time for relaxation before you head to bed. Stress can increase the risk of sleep disorders and make it difficult for you to unwind. Before bed, take half an hour or so to try and combat stress and prepare your body and mind for sleep. Meditate, read a book, have a chat with a friend, run a bath or put some music on. Do anything that makes you feel calm and diverts your attention from whatever is stressing you out or making you feel on edge. If you get into bed with a clear head and you feel relaxed, this will make it much easier to doze off.
If stress is a continual problem for you, it’s worth considering other self-help techniques , such as exercise, creative activities and talking to somebody about how you feel. Exercise can make you feel less tense, it can lift your mood, and it can provide you with a chance to have some me time or catch up with friends. Being active is also linked to improved wellbeing and confidence, and it also helps to reduce your risk of physical health problems. If you find it hard to express yourself or you crave the chance to be creative, activities such as writing, playing music, painting and drawing can be beneficial. Being creative enables you to display your emotions, and it’s also fun. If you have got things on your mind, you may also find it helpful to talk to your partner, a close friend or a relative about how you feel. If you’re not comfortable doing this, seeing a therapist may help you deal with stress.