Wanting to sleep and not being able to is frustrating. If sleep were a person we would have a serious conversation about its unwillingness and oftentimes stubbornness. I used to think that maybe sleep was getting me back for all the times I didn’t let my mom have her moments of rest.
Growing up it was easy to fall asleep. I didn’t have the stressors of the world to deal with and I wasn’t worried about life’s outcomes. As an adult though, sleep is like my first cousin who wants to hang out and talk all night. Or that friend I haven’t seen in forever and wants to talk endlessly about everything and nothing at the same time, refusing to leave.
Sleep knows it has the power to enter the scene at any time and make a grand entrance. Instead it chooses to watch from the sidelines or that seat against the wall, in the shadows, enjoying its drink from a red solo cup.
I’m convinced that sleep and I will always have a love-hate relationship and coexisting will require the right elements of romance. Being that I’m a hopeless romantic, I want be in love with sleep and I want sleep to be in love with me. In order for that to happen, sleep has to compromise.
In the meantime, I’ve tried these romantic gestures to woo sleep into becoming my lifelong companion.
Romancing Sleep to caress MY dreams
- Drink Cold Water — One hour before I get ready for bed, I drink an iced cold bottle of water. Drinking a glass of water before bed allows the body to restore itself naturally. The cool water allows your body to relax and provides a full night of rest.
- Music is a Must — Afterwards, I wait about five minutes. During that time I prepare my shower and find one of my many relaxing playlists on Spotify or Pandora. The sound of water and music adds and extra element of relaxation. Imagine walking into a room filled with the calming scent of eucalyptus or lavender!
- Light a Candle — I light a candle. The scent depends on my mood. Some of my favorite ones are: Birds of Paradise, Yankee Candle Refreshing Eucalyptus & Mint, Yankee Candle Peaceful Lavender & Sea Salt, and Eucalyptus Spearmint. All these candles have such a peaceful and relaxing scent that provides a relaxing shower, especially after drinking the cold water.
- Lose the Technology — I put my laptop and phone away. The hour before bed should consist of relaxing activities that don’t involve devices with screens. Screen time before bed can increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and reduce sleep quality which is counterintuitive to the whole “romancing sleep” to be my lifelong companion.
- Lather Up — After all this, I lotion up with Dr. Teals Sleep Lotion with Melatonin and Essential Oils.
Romancing sleep is a simple process if it’s done gently. With the right amount of caressing, it will become a forever friend.
We started off rocky with some disagreements and frustration but now, sleep and I have created an inseparable bond.
when I was pregnant
When I was pregnant all three times people told me to get as much sleep as possible because I wasn’t going to get any after the birth of the baby. That didn’t make sense! It didn’t matter how much I slept before the baby because the extra sleep wasn’t going to make up for my lack of sleep after the baby. What people don’t tell you is that the best time to sleep is when the baby is sleep.
That sounds great – in theory.
The lack of sleep lasts the entirety of motherhood. It never goes away!
The difference depends on the age of the child because that elevates the level of stress from worrying.
Suggestions for younger ages
The age stage make a difference.
- 0 – 3 months | During these months, babies spend the majority of their existence eating and sleeping. That’s it. When the baby is asleep, don’t feel the need to tackle your “to-do list”. Doing so will exhaust you even more and make it that much more difficult to sleep at night. Not only that, you get more crankier than usual.
- 4 – 12 months | Establish a napping schedule that will allow you to take at least ONE nap during the day and spend the other times tackling your to-do list.
- 1 – 5 years old | At this stage, sleep becomes a competitive sport. Who will be the winner — sleep, the child, or you, the parent? Depending the pre-established routine in the earlier ages, this stage of trying to be the winner should be easier. Rinse and repeat the same process from the 4 – 12 months stage.
“Did you know, when kids go to bed, you can hear yourself think again. I sound fabulous.”
Paige kellerman
Sleep is precious and so is having a baby. Remember though, you are not any good to your child or your family if you are sleep deprived. It is essential to make sure that not only are you caring for the health of your baby but your health as well. Sleep requires rest and that is something you most certainly need when caring for children, no matter their age.
YOU can always be the winner when you take at least ONE moment to nap while your baby is also napping and especially if you choose to follow my process above.
Sleep knows when you are stressed and it knows when you are relaxed. No matter what you do to help, having a plan in place will change your life. Let me know in the comments: What’s your relationship with sleep?
