7 Ways for Tired Moms to Get Some Rest
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Motherhood can be a physically-demanding and personally-rewarding experience. Here are a few tips to help maintain the energy for this incredible adventure:
1. Designate a Special Sleep Spot... and Time
Convert a spare room into a daytime-napping space. Complete with plush comforter, pillow and eye mask, moms can benefit from a rejuvenating daytime nap just as much as kids can. Schedule a time when a partner or friend can watch the baby a few hours each day so that mom can soak in the few undisturbed hours of deep rest she needs.
2. Just Say No to Extra Duties... and Yes to Extra Help
Remaining active with friends and organizations is important and fulfilling. For sleep-deprived moms, however, volunteering and attending events can rest on the back burner for a while. Concerned about losing touch? Why not ask a few friends over for simple visits? Many may be delighted to be the extra helping-hand every mom needs from time to time. They may even provide the chance for another quick rest in a cozy sleep spot.
3. Take Outings
Remaining active with friends and organizations is important and fulfilling. For sleep-deprived moms, however, volunteering and attending events can rest on the back burner for a while. Concerned about losing touch? Why not ask a few friends over for simple visits? Many may be delighted to be the extra helping-hand every mom needs from time to time. They may even provide the chance for another quick rest in a cozy sleep spot.
4. Find Time for Exercise
Although it may seem like the last thing any fatigued person may want to do, even a hint of extra exercise can help ensure more restful sleep. Just a walk around the block can be enough to attain this benefit. Winter weather making the outdoors too daunting? A few trips around the house can mimic the exertion of a neighborhood stroll. However it comes about, a bit of extra movement can pay-off as a lot better sleep.
5. Dim the Lights
Nighttime lighting can create a warm glow in the evening, but did you know that it can also interfere with sleep? Sleep researchers have found that anything brighter than 15 watts can inhibit excretion of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleepiness. Turning off a few extra lights or simply donning a sleep mask can lead to substantially better sleep.
6. Stop to Smell the Rosemary
Certain scents can be used as simple means to feel more refreshed. Citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruit are associated with energy, while rosemary creates a sense of alertness.
7. Talk it Out
Whatever worries occupy a mom’s mind can also keep her from sleeping peacefully. Don’t be shy about chatting with a partner or fellow mom, whoever has an ear to lend and a shoulder to lean on. Try to have such conversations long before climbing under the covers, and your mind should let you sleep soundly.
What tips and tricks have kept your energy up for the hills and valleys of the adventure called parenthood?