For moms, it's hard to put your brain on pause.
There are always a million things going through their minds.
Whether it's taking care of the kids, the house, taking care of the bills, meeting work deadlines, juggling each other's schedules, laundry, dinner, her wedding (or any other romantic relationship). ..
...and in the middle of it all try to take care of them.
This incessant daily marathon has made me insomniac. I tried a whole range of solutions to manage this insomnia:some worked, some didn't.
Here are my 5 most effective tips for a good night's sleep:
I know, this may sound very childish, but think about it for a moment.
Have you noticed how your kids get up at the same time every morning even though you let them go to bed a little later on the weekends?
That's because you've trained their little bodies to go to bed and get up at a certain time.
As adults, we forget how important these benchmarks can be. Try to go to bed at the same time every night.
OK, I can see your bewildered expression from here. I know, I love my Samsung Galaxy. I even find myself checking my emails in the middle of the night.
But when you use your smartphone, mobile or tablet at night, you stimulate your brain.
The light from the screen tells your brain that it's not time to go to bed. If you have a landline phone (yes some still do!), charge your phone in another room.
If your mobile is your only phone, turn off all sound notifications before going to sleep and put it face down while charging (to avoid screen light).
If you wake up in the middle of the night, try to resist the urge to turn it on.
Instead, try changing positions and relaxing by taking long, deep breaths.
If you're like me, you like a good hot shower.
Showering before sleeping has 2 advantages:
- your body and muscles relax,
- the rise in your body temperature in the shower followed by a sudden drop when you get out tells your body that it's time to go to sleep.
I can sometimes spend hours lying in bed thinking about tons of things, including why I can't sleep.
However, according to scientific studies, lying in bed awake is not the right way to fall asleep. You have to feel feelings of falling asleep.
To bring out these sensations, it is advisable to get out of bed and change rooms to walk a little.
Take the opportunity to perform some relaxation techniques, read a book or listen to music.
After a few minutes, you should begin to feel tired. It's time to go back to bed.
I can still hear a yelp from you! Yes, I know physical exercise is not fun, but has many benefits.
Not only do you feel better and gain stamina, but you also sleep much better. Think about it.
When your kids have been active all day, they sleep like babies at night! The same applies for adults.
Make time to exercise in the morning or early afternoon.
Remember that exercising less than an hour before going to bed will not give your body and mind time to decompress.