Getting a good night’s sleep can be an elusive quest for many parents.
You’ve heard all the advice – go to bed earlier, put your phone away at least an hour before bedtime, have a hot bath/shower, try a sleep spray – but, as good as those tips are, they don’t cover all scenarios.
What about if you have a new baby that has to be fed every three hours or a clingy toddler who insists on falling asleep on top of you? Or if your child is sick in the middle of the night and you have to change sheets and then soothe them back to sleep?
What if your tween has a nightmare and insists on getting into your bed, conks out and then twists and turns every twenty minutes resulting in you sleep on the edge of your bed with an elbow in your face and a foot in your back?
Some nights you just won’t get the sleep you need – and you must accept it as a fact of parenting life.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to ensure you don’t crash and burn the next day.
1. Drink coffee
If you’re a coffee drinker, treat yourself to one strong cup of coffee in the morning but don’t rely on it for the rest of the day. Stay hydrated with plenty of water.
2. Eat high energy foods
Consuming high energy foods like bananas, eggs, salmon, tuna or brown rice will help you stay alert and productive throughout the day.
3. Complete the hardest tasks before lunch
You’re going to start to feel more tired as the day progresses so use that first spurt of energy to get the main things sorted for the day. If a few things slip into tomorrow’s To-Do List, so be it.
4. Take a nap
If you need to attend an event in the evening or have to stay alert for some reason, take a short nap in the afternoon. Don’t do it too late in the day though or it could affect your sleep later that night.
5. Treat yourself!
One surefire way to get through the day in a good mood is to have something lovely planned for the evening. It could be a bath with candles and a glass of wine, it could be takeaway and a movie or it could be curling up with a great book/podcast and your favourite snacks. Whatever your pleasure, indulge yourself. You’re a parent – you’ve earned it!
