Remember the days when you used to get up to nine hours of sleep every night and wake up as fresh as a daisy?
Good times.
But now that you are a mother you might be lucky to get more than 5 hours in one stretch, thanks to diaper changes, feedings or the need for cuddles – especially if your children are under the age of two.
But sleep deprivation doesn’t have to be something that just comes with the territory of being a mother. Indeed, there are many strategies you can implement to ensure you get quality rest.
In this post, we will look at some of the long-term effects of sleep deprivation on your physical and mental health and highlight what you can do to make sure you get the recuperative and restorative slumber you need every night.
For more on this topic, check out the full Sleep collection
Sleep Deprivation Explained
While some people dismiss the effects of sleep deprivation or see it as some kind of badge of honor, it is not something to embrace.
Essentially, sleep deprivation occurs when you don’t get the required number of hours your body needs to leave you restful and relaxed. It can also happen when you don’t get the quality of sleep you require too, due to regularly waking up through the night.
Although sleep deprivation can affect fathers and mothers, women with children tend to suffer more. If it continues over a period of about three months or more then it is likely that you are experiencing chronic sleep deprivation which can result in the following:
- General fatigue and poor energy
- Rage and irritability
- Higher risk of short-term illness like colds and flu
- Longer healing time for illness
- Increased chance of long-term conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- Greater propensity to suffering from postpartum depression or anxiety
- More injury proneness due to decreased reaction times
- Unsafe sleeping practices like dozing off when holding or feeding the baby
What Causes Mothers To Be Sleep Deprived?
There are several reasons why mothers might suffer from sleep deprivation.
Probably, the most common is that newborn babies often require regular feedings throughout the night, which can seriously impact the ability of a mum to sleep. In addition, babies may also experience unpredictable crying spells or night terrors which can cause disruptions.
As mothers often have to balance looking after children, with household chores, and even sometimes paid employment, the pressure of these responsibilities can result in higher levels of stress, which can affect their ability to sleep.
Conversely, postpartum can be a very tough time for mothers who often feel an increased sense of worry or anxiety about the overall health and well-being of their child(ren), which can make it harder for mothers to get the rest they need.
Similarly, factors such as loud street noise or neighbors, and partners who snore can also play havoc to a mother’s sleep.
10 Strategies To Get Better Sleep
Unfortunately, if you are sleep deprived, a triple shot of espresso is not the way to get through the day. Instead, you should take the following steps to try and facilitate better sleep.
1. Establish a Regular Sleep Routine
Establishing a consistent sleep routine is one of the simplest things you can do to improve the quality of both you and your child’s sleep. Doing this should involve going to bed at the same time every evening and undertaking various activities that will help you relax, unwind and better prepare yourself for sleep.
For your little one, a bedtime routine may incorporate reading a bedtime story, gently rocking them or having a warm bath. Once the child has fallen asleep, mothers could try reading, meditating or listening to sleep induced music – search for ‘Hertz Sleep Music Black Screen’ on YouTube to find some excellent videos that can help you to fall and stay asleep for longer.
Whatever your routine involves you should make sure you stick to doing it every day. This will help your body and mind to recognize cues that it is time to sleep.
2. Make Your Bedroom Conducive To Sleep
While developing a regular sleep routine is a good starting point, you will still struggle to get good quality shut eye if your bedroom is not set up for you to do so. That is why you should make the time to create as comfortable an environment for sleeping as possible.
To do this you might need to buy a more luxurious mattress and bedding for yourself. (It might also be worth doing the same for your child). Additionally, you should make sure the room temperature is exactly to your liking by investing in air conditioning or heating system if you don’t already have one.
Likewise, you can put up blackout curtains, install nightlights if necessary and take steps to minimise outside noise as required.
3. Sleep Before Your Partner
If you have a partner, a good tactic to employ is to try and sleep for a couple of hours before they go to bed at night. For instance, if they normally head to bed at 11pm you might want to try and go to sleep at 8pm, especially if your children are asleep then too.
By doing this you are giving yourself the opportunity to enjoy a good chunk of sleep before you first get woken up during the night by your child. If that is, for instance 1am, you could have accumulated five hours of slumber already by that time.
Should your partner stay awake for a couple of hours longer than you, ask them to stay close to your children to minimise the length of time they might be crying or calling out for a parent.
4. Sleep in a Different Room to Your Partner
If your partner is a loud snorer, moves around a lot in bed or a larger person you might want to sleep in a different bedroom to them.
Doing this can minimize distractions that could otherwise keep you awake and is a particularly useful strategy for light sleepers who need to get up early for paid work or whose children are up at the crack of dawn.
5. Diagnose Any Underlying Sleep Disorders
Sometimes, your lack of sleep is not because of children waking up in the middle of the night, but rather because you or your partner suffer from conditions like sleep apnea.
This can be a serious disorder which happens when your upper airways become blocked when you sleep. As a result, this can significantly reduce or even completely stop one’s flow of air and is characterised by loud snoring or sudden waking up while choking or gasping. Generally speaking, it is more common among men than women and can occur because of obesity, changes in hormone levels or enlarged tonsils.
If it is not treated, sufferers of sleep apnea are more at risk of stroke, heart attack, coronary artery disease and heart failure. However, you can reduce or even eliminate its effects by stopping smoking and losing weight (click here to learn more).
6. Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation
Perhaps one of the best ways you can sleep at night is by practicing mindfulness and relaxation, which can be very powerful ways to manage your stress levels.
Activities like gentle yoga, meditation or deep breathing can be invaluable ways of unwinding before you go to sleep as they put you in a calm frame of mind which is more conducive for sleep.
7. Have Sex
Although more thorough research needs to be conducted, some studies suggest there is a positive association between having sex before bedtime and achieving a better quality of sleep.
After orgasming, your body releases hormones such as prolactin and oxytocin which can bring on relaxed and pleasant feelings. At the same time, the physical act of love also reduces the amount of the hormone cortisol in your body – which is linked to stress.
If you have sex with your partner regularly before bedtime it may produce enhanced feelings of intimacy and closeness with them, as well as triggering this hormonal response, which can both lead you to enjoy better sleep.
8. Accept Outside Assistance
Motherhood is an incredibly demanding role, particularly when you have to manage household chores and cook meals. For this reason, you should take on outside help where necessary to reduce your overall responsibilities and workload.
This may include hiring a cleaner to tidy up your house or utilizing a home delivery service to bring your meals or groceries to you. You could also hire a babysitter to enable you to concentrate on doing other activities more efficiently or ask a friend or family member to look after your little ones while you do the clothes washing.
Essentially, look for ways of making your life easier which will reduce your levels of stress and anxiety at all that needs to be done, which in turn should help you sleep better.
9. Prioritize Your Own Self-Care
As a busy mum, it’s easy to let self-care take a back seat whilst you focus on looking after your children. However, taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your offspring.
It is important to set aside time every day for activities that bring you relaxation and joy, as this can significantly help to improve your headspace, which in turn can help you to sleep better.
Whether having ‘you’ time involves enjoying a relaxing bath, going for a run or watching a movie on Netflix, you should see this activity not as an act of selfishness but as a crucial part of maintaining your overall health.
10. Take Supplements
If you find it difficult to fall asleep at night, there are some supplements you can take that may help.
The likes of melatonin, magnesium, 5-HTP, L-theanine and GABA all have the capability of boosting your levels of production for sleep-promoting hormones. As a result, they can calm your brain activity and help you to fall asleep much quicker than you otherwise would.
That said, before you take any of these supplements, it is crucial to consult with your doctor. There may be side effects you need to be aware of, or they may not be suitable if you are taking other medications.
For more on this topic, check out the full Sleep collection
