Sleep Awareness Week: How to Prioritize Sleep as a Mom

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Happy Sleep Awareness Week, Mommas! If you’re anything like me, the only thing I’m aware of is how little sleep I get since becoming a mom. Stress, diet, and our environment are all outside factors that can affect sleep health, not to mention a crying baby! My resolution for 2021 was to make sleep a priority. Getting more sleep is important for good health. Our kids need a happy, healthy mom. Here are some tips that have helped me improve my sleep.

Sleep Awareness Week, Tips to Prioritize Sleep

Avoid Caffeine

Moms love coffee. It’s a fact! I for one, need my coffee in order to parent successfully. But how much is too much? Studies show that coffee increases anxiety. If you find yourself feeling nervous or fidgety, it might be time to assess your caffeine intake. Although it was no easy task, I have made it a point to limit myself to no more than 2 cups of coffee a day. Caffeine is a stimulant that will affect your sleep cycle. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try reducing the amount of caffeine you consume.

Be Mindful

Having difficulty falling asleep is common among moms. Stress and anxiety are often to blame for this issue. I realized that in order to improve my sleep, I needed to take some time to implement relaxation techniques in my day. For me, that included Yoga and Headspace meditations daily. For you, this may look like practicing breathing exercises, or listening to calming music. There are countless ways to induce relaxation. Find something that works for you and take a few minutes each day to put these techniques into practice.

Sleep Awareness Week- Meditation Techniques

Natural Sleep Aids

If you find that you’re having trouble sleeping, investing in some natural sleep aids can help. I will admit that I was a little wary of taking supplements to help me get some shut-eye, but it has helped me tremendously. Melatonin is a natural hormone that your body produces and it tells your brain when it’s time to sleep. Melatonin is also available as an oral supplement and it usually comes in tablet form. I take 10 mg nightly, 30 minutes before I plan on going to bed. It has truly helped me get back to a normal, healthy sleep schedule.

If you’re a fan of tea, a cup of chamomile might work wonders before bed. I love the Sleepytime brand, and have found comfort in my new habit of sipping a warm cup of chamomile goodness as part of my nightly routine.

Taking a Magnesium supplement is also said to help with sleep. 350 mg per day has helped me keep anxiety at bay, which in turn has improved my sleep quality. 

As always, you should check with your doctor before introducing any new dietary supplements into your routine. This is just what has personally helped me on this journey!

Sleep Awareness Week- Photo of Family sleeping

My fellow moms, I hope that these tips can help you gain some restful sleep. After all, taking care of our own sleep is a way of taking better care of our babies. Here’s to overcoming our sleep hurdles together and overcoming Mombie mode- for good!

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