As a mom, we cherish the time we get to spend asleep. Raising a family is an incredibly demanding feat that mothers all over the world take on every day. Getting a good night’s rest can often be impossible, especially when the kids are still very young. The nights spent getting out of bed to the sound of cries in the middle of the night take their toll on our mental health and alertness.
Every mom needs to maximize the quality of their sleep as much as they can so that when they do get to put their heads down, they receive as much benefit as possible. Obtaining the right amount of quality sleep is as important as eating the proper diet and getting enough exercise.
Sleep is the time of day where we recharge our brains and restore neural pathways. Without enough sleep, in our lives, we become cranky and irritated. Here are seven tips you can use to improve the quality of your sleep and get the most out of your downtime.
#1 Reduce Exposure to Blue Light at Night
Avoid staring at screens before you go to bed. Put your cell phone down and turn off your mobile devices. Staring at a screen blasts your eyeballs with blue light. This light confuses your brain and disrupts your circadian rhythms. This all means that you will find it more challenging to fall asleep if you are texting or scanning through Facebook before going to bed.
#2 Stop Drinking Coffees After Midday
Caffeine is well-known as the ingredient in coffee that wakes up in the morning. If it weren’t for coffee, some of us just would not be able to function in the morning. However, drinking coffee or energy drinks after midday can disrupt your hormones and spike your blood sugar. Drinking too much coffee can increase anxiety levels and create hypertension, call it a day on the caffeine afternoon.
#3 Don’t Nap Irregularly
Power naps help if you take them at the same time of day for the same period. Irregular napping is not good for you and will disturb your body’s natural sleep cycle
#4 Keep Your Sleep Cycle as Regular as Possible
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This routine will establish your circadian rhythms and improve your quality of sleep by allowing your body to reach a more profound REM state. The more you practice going to sleep and waking up at the same time, the more your body will adapt to the training and eventually you will be able to wake up at the same time every day, without the need for alarm.
#5 Use Melatonin
Melatonin is produced by the hormonal system to help the brain drift off to sleep. Using melatonin reduces brain activity and increases GABA production, allowing you to drift off to dreamland with ease.
#6 Improve Your Bedroom Environment
Do a bit of redecorating in your bedroom. Hang some thick dark curtains with liners sewn into the exterior of the curtain. This lining will help you deflect heat and light away from your room, keeping things dark and cool.
#7 Invest in a Comfortable Mattress and Pillow
The keystone of your bedroom is your mattress. Forget everything else; if you have a soft, supportive, and comfortable bed, you are ensured a good night sleep. We spend so much of our time asleep that it’s worth paying a little more for a mattress that’s made by a top-rated manufacturer.
