Five Practical Ways to Get More Sleep
If the pandemic has left you feeling exhausted, drained, and overwhelmed, then now is the time to start prioritizing your rest! If you are tired of feeling tired, start focusing on getting better sleep!
But how do you do that when you have a baby that won’t sleep?
Here are five ways to start prioritizing the rest that your family needs!
Commit to helping your child get better sleep NOW. It never seems to be the “right” time to start working on healthy sleep habits with your child. Either your child is teething or sick, you’re too busy, or you simply don’t have the energy to dedicate to a sleep program. Before you know it, you have a two-year-old that still isn’t sleeping through the night.
I get it, but I have to break it to you: There will never be a perfect time...so why not start now?! Choose a day this month that you are going to commit to a program - and really do it! This process takes time and commitment, so if you have the busiest week of the year coming up at work, that likely isn’t the best time to start this process. Choose a day/time that you know you can commit to the hard work, but again, just understand that there will always be an excuse to delay the process, and there is never a “perfect time” to start. However, know that it will only get harder the longer you wait, so the best time to start is NOW!
Invest in your rest. While there are many free resources available to help you with your child’s sleep, such as blogs and social media tips, it might be time to actually invest in a program, book, class, or one-on-one coaching option in order to reach your sleep goals. Investing in your rest is one of the best investments you can make that will pay off, well, forever!
But first, make sure to do your research! Unfortunately there are a lot of programs out there that are anecdotal and offer advice based on a one-size-fits all approach. And, unfortunately, these are rarely successful. Make sure when you are choosing a method/approach that you are selecting a program that will offer options unique to your baby. Our method is all about understanding your child’s sleep profile and using that as a starting point to guide you through this process!
In terms of our resources…
If you are more of a DIYer, our classes and guides are likely the best option for you!
f you have no idea where to turn and need daily support until you get this sleep thing figured out, our hourly, weekly, or monthly 1:1 consultations are likely the best fit for you.
If you don’t know what you need, set up a free 30-min discovery call with us directly on our website, and we will help determine what is most helpful for your situation!
Be consistent in all areas of sleep. This means prioritizing naps in your child’s sleep environment (rather than numerous on-the-go naps), following a consistent bedtime schedule, and prioritizing sleep above all else (playdates, social events, etc). While you don’t have to be homebound (and after the year we’ve had, I don’t blame you if you’re wanting to get out), you should be as consistent as possible with sleep, not only for your child, but also for you if you want to see progress!
In terms of consistency, you always want to be consistent in the way that you and your partner are each viewing and responding to the situation. The sleep teaching process ALWAYS works better when both parents are committed to the process. This is hard work, so when the responsibility falls to one parent, it is so much harder to stick with it. While we understand that single parents don’t have this option, the idea is that when there are two parents involved, getting on the same page before starting this work is essential.
Go to bed early! This goes for you and your kids! Getting strict about an early bedtime will not only help ensure your child gets the rest they need, it will also help YOU get a nice long chunk of sleep, even if you end up waking in the middle of the night to respond to your child. It also helps to prevent your child from becoming overtired and entering sleep that way.
Set realistic expectations. The #1 mistake I see made in this process is that parents change too much at once and then give up when they don’t see results. Remember that these bad sleep habits weren’t formed overnight, and they aren’t going to get better overnight either. We live in a society that wants to see overnight results, but the reality is that all things that last take time and effort. Don’t give up if your child isn’t sleeping through the night in five days! That doesn’t mean you are doing it wrong; it just means they are a human and not a robot.
If you are ready to take these steps and start prioritizing sleep, please reach out to us! Click here for our services and contact information.
Related:
Here’s why consistent bedtimes are more important than you think
Give yourself the gift of simplifying
How much sleep do you really need?
Exhausted mama - here’s how to get more rest
The alarming danger of sleep deprivation & how to fix it