How to help mum sleep better at night
When you become a parent, you say goodbye to your regular, restful sleep and wave hello to staggered wake-up calls throughout the night. From getting pregnant and lovingly picking out baby names to the postnatal haze and becoming a sleep-deprived mum, getting sleep with a newborn baby (or even a toddler) is tough (anyone who says their baby sleeps through the night is lying or has a miracle baby).
And, since your sleep habits are skewed, you may find you have trouble drifting to sleep when your head hits the pillow, especially if you’re a new parent (it’s a learning curve that all experienced and new mums go through with their babies that not even a comfy mattress and pillow can diminish).
Not getting enough sleep isn’t just limited to parents, it affects family life and mental health; whether you’re worrying about work, financial problems (companies like creditfix.co.uk can help you with your debt management, find out more here) or your brain simply won’t switch off. Why is something so simple like falling asleep so difficult now?
Well, you’re having trouble sleeping because your body clock is out of whack. So the aim is to work out how to help mum sleep better at night and fix your body clock so it works around your new normal. The key is consistency, adopting healthy sleep habits as much as you can and arming yourself and your baby with sleep tools that will enhance sleep and maximise heath for sleeping mum and baby.
How much sleep does a mum need?
New mum sleep deprivation is real! But trying to get eight hours of sleep a night right now is unrealistic. So, here are some tips on how to help mum sleep better at night – even during nightly wake-up calls (you should let your baby sleep and wake up naturally unless medically advised).
Reduce your blue light exposure
You may be tempted to browse your phone when you’re feeding your baby, or catch up on emails when you have a spare few minutes to yourself. But, that blue light emitting from all of your screened devices, i.e. smartphone, TV, laptop, tablet etc. is currently tricking your mind into thinking it’s daylight, which makes it difficult to relax and fall asleep. The answer is simple – try to reduce the amount of screen time you’re getting as the day goes on. And at least one to two hours before you head to bed, have no screen time at all.
Are you pregnant? Check your due date with our due date calculator here!
Alternatively, you can purchase blue-blocking glasses from your opticians or download an app that can help reduce the blue light. Android phones have a natural blue light filter on, which helps. But, you’re better off staying away from the screen completely to help you get the best sleep possible.
Be wary of your caffeine intake
Caffeine is so helpful to keep us going during the day, especially when we’ve been up all night. Yet, so many of us continue to drink it before we go to bed. Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the nervous system and doesn’t allow your body to relax naturally. So, heading to bed a couple of hours after a cup of coffee or a nice cup of tea won’t help you sleep.
Caffeine stays in your bloodstream for around six hours, so one of the best home remedies for good sleep is to cut caffeine out of your day from about 3 pm. This also counts for alcohol, which reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. And the more you drink before bed, the more it affects your sleep.
You may feel like alcohol helps you fall asleep quicker and more deeply for a while, but it isn’t good quality sleep. You’ll wake up drowsy and groggy, which is not what you want when you have a million tasks to get on with as soon as you wake up.
Relax and clear your mind in the evening
Easier said than done, right? But believe it or not, the world won’t fall apart if you don’t get through that pile of laundry or respond to those important emails late at night. Make some time in your evening that is dedicated to rest and relaxation. Whether it’s a relaxing massage – you can do one for yourself or get your partner involved – listening to relaxing music, a gentle podcast, or even reading a book, select your activity and relax! Deep breathing and meditation techniques are also proven to help – check out YouTube for some beginner videos.
Optimise your bedroom
Your bedroom doesn’t always feel like your own, especially when you have little ones. But, if you want to get a good night’s sleep, you need to consider optimising your bedroom environment for sleeping. Ensure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean and enjoyable place that will allow your mind to associate with rest and relaxation. You might struggle with a waking baby, but as long as your bedroom is somewhere you can retreat to, you’ll get good sleep, even if the amount of rest you get is reduced.
Tools to help you sleep
Below are some great tools from Kally Sleep*, The UK’s sleep specialists, to help you drift off into the land of nod.
Find your perfect pillow
Using the right pillow for you makes all the difference when you can get your head down to sleep. Are you a back sleeper, a side sleeper, front sleeper or do you toss and turn during the night? Take Kally Sleep’s* two-minute pillow finder quiz* and they’ll be able to pinpoint the perfect pillow you need.
Plus if you complete the quiz you’ll get a 20% discount too! Click here to get started*
Are you a back sleeper?
If you’re a back sleeper, you’ll need to find the right orthopaedic pillow to help your back align properly and support your head and neck. The Kally Back Sleeper Pillow* is a medium-lofted and medium-soft firmness pillow, so it is ideal for people who sleep on their backs.
Back pain can also arise from the way you sit during the day. If you work from home, you may not be sitting in an optimal position, leading to back problems that stop you from sleeping well at night. The Kally Lumbar Back Support Cushion* provides comfort when you’re sitting down at your desk.
The slow-rebound memory foam provides cushioned support for the spine to ease lower and mid-back pain and pressure on the spine is reduced which promotes for correct spinal alignment too.
Get £15 off Lumbar Back Support Cushion* – Was £39.99, Now £24.99 – Click here to buy now!
If you’re pregnant, use a pregnancy pillow to help you sleep
A pregnancy pillow is a necessity when you’re pregnant and trying to sleep because it helps to realign the spine and provide support for the bump and lower back. My favourite is the U-shaped pillow* which provides support all around.
But don’t throw or give away the pregnancy pillow when you give birth, you can also use the U-Shaped Pregnancy Pillow* post-pregnancy for back support, sitting up in bed reading or watching or nursing your baby. The U-shaped pregnancy pillow also helps sufferers of sciatica, fibromyalgia, arthritis, gastric reflux and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Click here to buy Kally Sleep’s best-seller, the U-Shaped Pregnancy Pillow* – Just £54.99!
Use a baby nest in your baby’s crib or cot
Help baby transition from mum’s womb to cocoon in their new bed by easing the gap from crib to cot with a baby nest. We’ve used a Baby Nest* with our two girls and it has worked so well to calm them down and keep them cosy during sleep.
The Kally Baby Nest* is a multi-functional cocoon that keeps the baby safe and comfortable during supervised naps and tummy time. The Baby Nest* comes with a pillow and pillow cover, and a blanket too. I would recommend buying a Baby Nest from Kally Sleep* because it keeps baby safe and comfortable during sleep and playtimes.
Save on the Kally Sleep Baby Nest now – Was £79.99, Now £59.99! Click here to buy now*
Use a comfortable duvet
A comfortable duvet can mean you’re not too hot or cold when you’re covered up at night. And if you’re fighting for duvet space, it might be worth getting one for you and another for your partner. So if you like your duvet warm and they like their duvet cold, there’s no fight in the middle of the night thanks to The Warm and Cool Duvet which allows for climate control by having a different tog rating on each side.
On the warm side the tog rating is 7 which means you can experience a refreshing sleep without waking up too hot and sweaty. The opposite side has a tog rating of 14 so if you feel cold this side will no doubt keep you warm throughout the night.
Use a sports recovery pillow for sports injuries
If you exercise, sleep is one of the most important tools in life for muscle recovery because it helps prevent injury and enhances performance. But if you’re not sleeping properly or you have suffered an injury, then lack of sleep can prolong recovery time. Using a Sports Recovery Pillow* designed by sporting experts can help reduce the pressure placed on affected joints and helps to reduce pain and discomfort. The Sports Recovery Pillow can also speed up muscle recovery and growth.
Click here to get Kally Sleep’s Sports Recovery Pillow* now!
Your sleep cycle may be skewed, and you’re getting much less sleep than you did previously. But, adopting better sleep habits and following the tips above will help you maximise the rest you can have, even if it’s broken.
*This post is sponsored by Kally Sleep*
*Links marked with a ‘*’ are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you click through to buy at no extra cost to you
*Images taken from Kally Sleep’s* website
