Snooze or lose!
I’ve discovered there aren't many guarantees with parenthood, but one is you suffer your fair share of sleep deprivation.
Before children, I took it for granted I’d sleep until the alarm rang. Occasionally I’d have a restless night, but I always knew I could catch up.
Then my son Lucas was born. In hospital I remember comparing notes with the other new mums – between four of us we’d amassed seven hours the previous night.
As the weeks went by, I’d go to bed, so tired I could barely lift the doona only to be cruelly roused from my slumber a couple of hours later. By the time Lucas was about four months my nerves were so frazzled that I was as jumpy as a kangaroo on a trampoline!
Without sleep, I quickly morph into sleep-deprived mum – and without painting too graphic a picture, I can assure you (and some of you may associate with this) it’s not a pretty sight!
Sleep in our home is like a God - something to be worshipped. It’s admired, respected and yet frustratingly elusive…
So I’ve been working on creating a sleep routine not just for the kids – but for me and Alec. We now have a wind-down routine which involves a novel or magazine and a cuddle – and a strict lights-out bed time!
Bright lights, computers and watching TV can all interfere with the release of the hormone melatonin, which helps to control our sleep cycle, so I’ve been trying to get us to bed about ten minutes earlier each night and making sure we always wake up around the same time in the morning..
Now instead of slumping into bed around midnight, I’ve managed to claw it back to around 10.30pm (major achievement)!
And if you find it hard to wind down, then you can always try this technique to help you doze into dreamland…
Replay your day – backwards!
A really lovely way to get to sleep is to take yourself through your day – backwards! Replay in your mind getting into bed, what you did before going to bed, what you did in the evening, during the day.
This method will keep your mind from wandering and before you reach breakfast you should be happily ensconced in snoozeville. Avoid any negatives and focus on simple things you did, such as eating a meal or taking your baby out. Of course if you had a bad day then you may wish to try another method!
I’d love to hear your tips on how to get a good night’s sleep – and whether you think sleep deprivation is one of the hardest parts of parenthood…
Katie is a mum-of-three, author and yoga teacher. When she’s not doing the school drop off, pick up or chasing around the shops after an escapee two-year-old, she can be found lying on her back, practising slow, deep breathing! For more information visit: www.yogababes.com.au and www.motherme.com.au
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Friday, 06 August 2010
Luckily, though I definitely don't have trouble getting to sleep, it's just the waking up part
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Sleep...for me is a bit like Katie was midnight and up at 5.30am. I am trying to go to bed earlier and catch up on the last year years of deprived sleep. It just seems ironic that early menopause has started and the illustrous sleep escapes me...