Last week I saw a report on GMA that said single mothers are the most sleep deprived. This was definitely not earth shattering for me.
GMA: CDC Reveals Single Mothers Get Least Amount of Sleep
It is suggested we should all get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. I can wholeheartedly relate to this report and find it impossible to get at least 7 hours of sleep. This is specifically my struggle during the work week. My weekend nights between Friday and Saturday night are fine.
My workweek day starts at 5:30 AM. From this time there is packing lunches, getting dressed, dropping off at before care and driving to work. Fast forward to 5:00 PM which includes commute from work, pick up from aftercare, homework, a quick dinner(hopefully already prepared) and bedtime for all. My time to wind down is between 8:30-10:00 only if there are no interruptions from my youngest child. The teen child has no problem sticking to a bedtime and I greatly attribute this to the rigors of high school.
Last year I realized my night time routine needed improvement. I was only getting 3-4 hours of sleep each night. One huge mistake was checking looking at my phone each night before going to sleep. I am a firm believer that any time spent on the phone perusing social media is definitely not a good idea.
For a short period of time I used melatonin to relax before bedtime however I found this stopped working. Some of other bedtime remedies I have heard about is peanut butter, milk and cherry juice. My biggest dilemma is learning to shut off my brain.
The idea of shutting off the brain at night is easier said than done. My mind is constantly spinning with thoughts, ideas and plans.
In the new year, I am committed to getting a better night’s sleep.
How I Plan To Get More Sleep
- Set a bedtime of 10:00 (roughly 7 hours of sleep) each night and stick to it! This means winding down by 9:30.
- A warm shower before bed is relaxing and therapeutic.
- A cup of chamomile tea to ease with relaxing.
- Unplug from my devices. No SOCIAL MEDIA while in bed.