The importance of sleep  – Mummascribbles

Being a working mum can be hard work and what makes it all the more tough is when we aren’t getting enough sleep to survive on. With looking after the little ones, managing the daily household tasks (ahem), and going to work, we can often feel more than a little overstretched and just a tad exhausted.

But it’s incredibly important to set aside some time for yourself. And that’s why getting a little bit of balance in your life and prioritising sleep is essential.

Healing sleep 

I don’t know about you but I don’t get enough sleep. By the time we have got home, got Zach to bed, had our dinner, spent an hour letting the food go down and then got everything ready for the following morning, it is at least 11pm. And then my alarm goes off at 5.45. Every night we pray that he will sleep through the night, which in most cases he does, but when he wakes up even just once, it’s an absolute killer getting up for work in the morning.

Sleep is such an obvious thing in our lives that it’s easy to overlook how essential it is. We all know how rough we can feel (and look!) after a couple of bad nights’ sleep. But merely feeling grumpy and looking a little off-colour can be just the tip of the iceberg.

The NHS states how a regular lack of decent sleep can have long-term health consequences such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease. And the bed retailer Bedstar’s blog about healthy sleep patterns have listed many other effects of sleep deficiency including bad skin, physical pain, memory loss and irregular appetite.

And unfortunately, whilst we can be aware of these facts, it can only add to the stresses that are in our minds when we finally manage to get to bed. I have definitely had nights where I’ve been willing myself to fall asleep!

Sleep routine 

One of the best ways to overcome bad sleeping patterns is to try and implement a firm sleeping routine in your family’s life.

The biggest challenge to face can often be getting our little ones to bed. That’s why it’s important to ensure that they have a fixed bedtime with a decent amount of ‘wind-down’ time before in the form of a bedtime story or a relaxing bath. We don’t bath Zach every night because it tends to flare his eczema up if we do. We do however read to him every night and I have been trying to wean him off of his necessity of playing an exciting game of hide-and seek before he gets into bed because it makes him waaaay too hyped at what should be his quiet time.

If you have a baby of course, they can have the most irregular waking hours, which is why checking Netmum’s tips for setting your baby’s bedtime routine is especially helpful. We had a baby that didn’t like sleeping very much. Well, that’s a bit of a lie, he did like sleeping but only on us and I truly have no idea how we still functioned with such a small amount of sleep in those early days.

Once your child has stopped rolling around, stopped talking to keep themselves awake and is finally safely tucked up in bed and fast asleep, try and focus on the things that enable you to achieve a good night’s sleep. Heavy, fatty meals before bed should be avoided, as should caffeinated drinks as they will cause the body to work overtime when it should be winding down for the day. And similarly, the use of electronic devices before bedtime can have negative effects upon our ability to sleep too. And yes, I am guilty of all of these (maybe not the caffeinated drinks), especially being a blogger as I am attached to my phone in the evenings!

So for ways around these issues, try and treat yourself to a relaxing and pleasurable evening where you get to escape the stresses of the day with a good old-fashioned book, or even a little evening walk to clear the head and enjoy that well-deserved rest. Or even still, you could run yourself a big bubble bath and read a magazine. Because that for me is the ultimate relaxation. Except for when I do it on a rainy Sunday evening thinking I have some peaceful time ahead while the other half is upstairs doing bedtime and I suddenly get disturbed by the toilet training toddler who needs a wee just as he is falling asleep! Well, I guess we can’t expect perfection can we?!

What are your top tips for getting a good night sleep? I’d love you to share them with me

This post was written in collaboration with Katrina Smith