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When you have a baby, people will say things like:
Sleep when the baby sleeps.
Get the baby on a sleep schedule and routine ASAP.
Rest whenever you can.
You’ll never sleep again.
I’m here to tell you all of this is basically bull for various reasons–the biggest one being that they only consider the baby. What about moms?
Why Moms Sleep Routine Is Super Important
In truth, WE are the most important to take care of. When we’re overtired and under-nurtured that leads to piss poor mom performance and is the breeding ground for a poor mental health state to thrive. So while it’s super important to get your kids on a sleep schedule, having your own sleep routine is equally, if not more, important.
What Research Shows
I think that there’s enough research for me to write an entire white paper myself on how important it is for women to get enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation shared a piece citing that because women tend to multitask that uses more brain power leading us to need more sleep. When we don’t get enough sleep, it leads to:
- Weight gain
- Interference with cognitive ability
- Disrupts levels of chemicals and hormones in the brain that affect mood, thoughts, and energy
- Bad decisions
So yeah, it’s super important for us to get great sleep and one way to do that is ensuring we have a sleep routine.
How Having A Sleep Routine Helps
Our bodies naturally crave routine. If you’re trying to lose weight, intermittent fasting and eating at the same time every day is a normal recommendation. If you’re trying to sleep better, going to bed and waking up at the same time is helpful as well.Ā Why?Ā Because of our circadian rhythm. When you’re circadian rhythm is off, so is everything else. Having a sleep routine for adults is just like it is for kids–it teaches your body it’s time to wind down and get prepared for sleep. In a survey that I did on my Instagram stories, many people shared that falling asleep is an issue for them. A strong and consistent sleep routine is the answer to that.
Setting Up A Sleep Routine
Because I believe in essential oils and things like that, my sleep routine is inclusive of these in addition to some other components. I think my routine is pretty efficient now that I’m falling asleep faster and averaging 7 hours of sleep at night. Here’s my routine:
My Sleep Routine
Turn off electronics an hour before bed. I’d read somewhere about doing this for the kids and their night time routine so I do it for mine too. I also make sure that my phone is on Do Not Disturb.
Journal. At night is when I have all the thoughts swirling around my head and I just can’t quiet them unless I do something about them. So I journal. It helps me think through my wins and failures for the day as well as get out any ideas that may need flushing out the next day.
Take myĀ Fall AsleepĀ by RestoreZ. Yes, I take a sleep aid that’s not melatonin! I love this because it helps me just get to the place I need to be in order to fall asleep faster. I take this typically 15-30 min before I intend on falling asleep.
Read. My goal isn’t to read for hours on end, but just long enough to relax my body and do something that quiets my mind.
Rub lavender oil on my temples, neck, and shoulders.Ā This is my last step since it’s the most relaxing for me.
My routine is pretty simple and to the point–45 minutes top. But it’s effective and that’s what matters.
So tell me, are you getting enough rest? And what are you doing to change this?
