8 Ways Parents Can Get a Better Night’s Sleep

We see a lot of articles focussing on how parents can help their children get a better night’s sleep, but what about the parents? With so many conflicting demands these days, from trying to juggle family life with a career, many parents suffer from sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation not only ruins your day by making you more moody and irritable, but it has also been linked to long-term health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

 

When did we start neglecting our own bedtime routines? When you have young children getting enough sleep can seem like a herculean feat, but with so many health benefits, it makes set to aim for 8 hours sleep per night. So here are some quick and simple ways you can make sure you get a good night’s sleep.

  1. Remove clutter from the bedroom

How many times have you been heading to bed when you realised you have a pile of laundry to sort through and a basket of toys you need to deal with? When you become a parent, the amount of clutter in your life expands exponentially, and this clutter can often make its way into your bedroom. To help keep things tidy and relaxing, try cutting the clutter in your life by putting away out-of-season clothing, and keeping non-essential baby items out of your room.

  1. Limit blue light one hour before bed

When you’ve finally put the kids to bed, this might seem like the only chance you have to check social media and catch up with the news. However, the blue light emitted from your phone can have disastrous implications for your sleep patterns. Stop using your phone at least one hour before bed to prevent it from making you feel more awake.

  1. Upgrade your mattress

If your bed isn’t comfortable, you aren’t going to get a good night’s sleep. A new luxury bed might be just the thing you need to make it easier to drift off when the kids are finally sleeping. If your partner snores, this can be a huge source of stress, but upgrading to a new soft mattress will encourage them to sleep on their side and give you some peace at night.

  1. Address any noise issues

Dripping pipes, creaking boards and noisy neighbours can all sound much louder when you are trying to fall asleep. Fixing any irritating noises around your home and asking the neighbours to keep quiet will also help your kids to stay asleep, so you won’t be getting up in the night and interrupting your own REM sleep.

  1. Install blackout blinds

Having kids means you often have to sleep when you can, which might mean in the middle of the day. Blackout blinds will help to keep your bedroom nice and dark, so you’ll never guess what time it is outside. Installing blackout blinds in your kid’s bedroom is another great tactic as it means that they won’t wake up earlier in the summer or struggle to fall asleep when it’s still light outside.

  1. Take the TV out of the bedroom

A lot of parents make their bedroom their child-free sanctuary, which might mean having a TV for catching up on your favourite shows. Just like your mobile devices, having a TV in the bedroom can spell disaster for your sleep patterns. Not to mention, you might find yourself staying up later than you normally would to watch another episode of your favourite TV show. Take the TV out of the bedroom and you will soon find that you are sleeping better and waking up feeling more rested.

  1. Limit caffeine after midday

This might make you feel very old, but limiting caffeine take in the afternoon and evening can help you to drop off to sleep at night. It’s a difficult cycle to break as we often reach for tea or coffee when we are tired, and this feeds into our inability to sleep at night. Pick a day when you can afford to be a little more sluggish and then try to switch to caffeine-free tea or coffee in the afternoon. You should find that you are able to sleep a little better at night.

  1. Develop a routine

Just like your kids, you should have your own bedroom routine which helps you to wind down in the evening. Stop checking your work emails, draw yourself a nice bath and unwind with a nice book. You’ll soon find that you’re able to switch off in the evening and get a solid block of sleep every night. Parents often neglect themselves in order to be able to provide for their children, either through working long hours or devoting every waking moment to their kids. It’s important that they are able to keep yourself in good health, as a sleep-deprived parent isn’t going to be fully present for their children.

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