A new baby or an energetic toddler can infuse your home with joy and excitement. This is wonderful during the day, but come night-time everyone will be seeking some restorative shut-eye. Making sure that everyone in the household gets enough can be a challenge, but this list will provide you with some handy tips to create a more restful, relaxed home.
Stick to Timings
Whilst this may seem impossible when your child is crying at 1am, trying to maintain waking and bedtime hours will help re-establish a sense of routine. It will also rebalance your circadian rhythms, the biological processes which help your body know when to rest and when to rise. If you have to take a nap to catch up on lost sleep in the day, try and limit it to 20 minutes. This way, you will still feel tired enough to sleep at the end of the day.
Get Outdoors
Exercise is often touted as the answer to perfect sleep, but sometimes when we’re feeling really under-slept the idea of exerting ourselves feels too much like hard work. Instead, opt for a gentle stroll with your toddler on reins (if needed) or baby in a stroller. Let your child explore the outdoors, too. This activity will absorb them, giving you a little break, and should tire them out so they are more ready to sleep at night.
Use Your Support Networks
Not everyone lives within easy distance of in-laws or support networks, but if you do don’t feel ashamed to make the most of these lifelines. Ask friends to babysit, even if just for a few hours. Getting out of the house and having some quality time with your partner or loved one will help to refresh you, even if it doesn’t count as quality sleep.