We talk a lot about babies, and their sleep, and their feelings, but let's talk about YOU today.
That's right...You need your sleep too!
You might be wondering, "Wait! Isn't it a pre-requisite to parenting that I be constantly exhausted?"
Ummm...no! Who taught us that? Who started this lie that we need to be exhausted and be on our third cup of coffee by 7:00 a.m. to be a "good parent"? Whoever they are, they are completely and entirely wrong.
In this article, let's talk about WHY you need your sleep and what it does for your mental health. Then let's talk about some sleep tips for you grown-ups.
A quick note: Since we're talking about your mental health, I want to note that I am not a mental health professional and am definitely not the person to be giving medical advice. If you are worried that you may be experiencing post-partum depression or post-partum anxiety, speak to your doctor. You can also check out these resources:
Why You Need Your Sleep
There are SO many reasons why you need your sleep! I'm going to list just a few here.
When you don't get enough sleep, it can lead to decreased productivity at work, increased stress levels, weight gain, and a weakened immune system.
In addition to all of that, not getting enough sleep can also lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. In fact, experts now agree that sleep and mental health have a bidirectional relationship - meaning that poor sleep can be a cause and a consequence of mental health issues.
Getting enough sleep, especially REM sleep, allows the brain to process emotional information. During sleep, the brain evaluates and remembers thoughts and memories. It seems that a lack of sleep is especially harmful when it comes to consolidating positive emotional content, and can really influence our moods and emotional reactivity.
Of course, I am not so naïve that I think a good night's sleep is going to cure or mental health issues. But I promise it will help. It is a large piece of a larger puzzle and I know it really made a difference for me.
Sleep Training for Grown-Ups
Jo-Jo Jensen famously said, "Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds." Isn't that the truth? We're cranky, we don't make sense and we are prone to crying for reasons that make absolutely no sense.
I know you want to be the best parent you can for your babies. And I know that when we are not getting our sleep, none of us are our best selves. So how can we get your sleep back on track?
Here are some quick sleep tips to help you get your zzzzs.
pssstt…”sleep training” only means changing habits so it’s not a bad word!
Get into a routine and stick to it as much as possible.
We talk about routines for babies and toddlers, but we need routines too! They will give you peace and a sense of accomplishment. We all unknowingly have bedtime routines: Comfy pj’s, brushing your teeth, washing your face - all of these get you ready for sleep!
Make these routines free of electronics, focus on unplugging before you start your bedtime routine.
Sleep is not automatic, we need to ease into it.
Establish a bedtime ritual that relaxes you (reading, meditation, etc.)
Related to this, put away your electronics and screens before bed. You're not going to get a good night's sleep if you're TikTok-ing in bed.
The production of Melatonin is automatically turned off when the eye is exposed to blue or yellow lights.
Melatonin is a natural occurring hormone that’s secreted only during darkness. It’s necessary for regulating circadian rhythm.
This will disturb the onset of sleep and social media fills our brain with thoughts that can cause anxiety before sleep.
Set a wake up time and bedtime and stick to it!
This is probably the most powerful advice you will get on sleep. Consistency is the key to sleep (and pretty much everything). So calculate your ideal bedtime and wake up times and stick to those religiously! You will also find, it will help you bounce back when you do happen to have a late night!
You will sleep better and feel better guaranteed.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.
You may know about the effects that caffeine can have on our bodies, but did you know that caffeine has a shelf life of 5-6 hours! What does that mean? Well that means that it can and does affect your sleep at night. Even if you manage to fall asleep, it will 100% affect your QUALITY of sleep, leaving you feeling sluggish the next day. Same with alcohol.
So lay off the caffeine in the afternoon and if you NEED it, it means you are sleep deprived and will probably NEED it tomorrow and so on.
Set up your sleep environment.
Make sure your bedroom is dark, loud and cool.
We’ve already discussed the benefits of darkness and lights on melatonin production.
Noise however, can also help with sleep. WHAT?! Yes, NOISE! Sound machines are not just for nurseries, they are for everyone.
A great meditation or nature sounds before bed can also help relax the mind and help the onset of sleep.
If you wake up during the night, don't look at your phone!
Give yourself 10 minutes, and then get up for a while. Do something with low engagement (i.e. don't look at a screen!) until you're tired again. I get up and read with a dim light.
Get some sunlight
Remember when we talked about our body's natural rhythms and built in clock? Remember how sunlight helps us know what time it is and calibrates our baby's bodies to be ready for sleep? That applies to you too!
Just 15 minutes of sunlight a day can help regulate our circadian rhythm, produce more serotonin (the feel good hormone) and when it’s time for sleep and exposed to the dark, that hormone converts into melatonin!
Exercise but not before sleep
Physical exercise is great for sleep! It helps the quality of your sleep but if you exercise too late in the day it can actually delay sleep onset.
Why? because our bodies need to cool down and drop in core body temperature in order to fall asleep. Exercise has the opposite effect. It will raise your code body temperature so you need time to cool down. Very few people can exercise right before bed without it affecting sleep.
Make sure you exercise at least a few hours before sleep.
Ask for help
Whether it's asking for help getting the baby to sleep or asking Grandma and Grandpa to swing by so you can have a break, please do not try to do it all on your own!
Sleep is essential for everyone! If you want to talk more about sleep, book a call or find out how Your Dream Plan can help everyone in your house sleep tight!
