*This is a partnered post
Exhaustion! It’s just something we moms are meant to deal with and get on with life. Of course, when you have a brand new baby or a teething toddler, there is little you can do to avoid it. However, many times it is the things that have nothing at all to do with the kids or being a mom that rob us of a good night’s sleep. Yet, with rest being a commodity in such short supply, shouldn’t we be doing all we can to maximize sleep and make it a priority? Of course we should! Identifying and then eliminating these issues is something you can read about in the post below.
An Unsupportive Mattress
One of the most significant issues that contribute to poor sleep is a mattress that is not correctly supporting your body. In fact, I say mattress because while your bed is essential, it is the mattress that does most of the heavy lifting during the night. That is, it is your mattress that supports your joints, bones, and muscles as you sleep, and if you have the wrong one, your rest can easily be disturbed.
To that end, being aware of the position that you sleep in the most is essential. In fact, this is often what will dictate whether you need a soft, medium or firm mattress. For those who snooze on their backs, a soft mattress might be preferable. Those that sleep on their stomach might need much firmer support to ensure comfort through the night.
Of course, the likelihood that both you and your partner have the same needs when it comes to your mattress is low. You might need a mattress that can be customized to fit both of your needs is a smart investment, if it is better sleep that you are seeking.
Over Caffeinated
It is not unusual for exhausted mommas to rely on caffeine to help them through the day. Especially if the little ones keep waking them up during the night, yet they still have to get on with their regular daily tasks. However, while caffeine is excellent for pepping us up, too much of the stuff can begin to affect our ability to sleep well at night. Unfortunately, this can become something of a cyclical situation with moms drinking more caffeine the more tired they get and then increasing this amount because they are exhausted because of caffeine!
The solution is simple, luckily, and that is to keep your caffeine intake to a minimum. This means only drinking strongly caffeinated drinks like coffee in the morning and never after dinner or in the evening. Additionally, switching to decaffeinated teas can help too, as some actually have even more than coffee. Therefore they can act as a stimulant that makes getting to sleep, and staying asleep very difficult.
Sleep Apnea
Another issue that may be impacting the quality of your sleep and one that can be potentially very serious is sleep apnea. This is where the sufferer actually stops breathing in the night, with the brain waking them up to ensure they start again. Of course, this means that a person with this condition will wake multiple times in the night. It also means someone suffering from this condition also runs the risk of something going wrong with the body’s alarm system and not waking up. This is a situation that can have truly dire consequences.
With that in mind, if you are showing some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, you must contact your doctor for immediate assessment. Of course, most people believe that the only solution to this issue is wearing a CPAP machine every night. This may not be the case, however. The reason being is that it is now possible to find an Ear Nose Throat Doctor who can advise you on the suitability of surgical intervention for this condition as well. This just might be a solution that can make a difference in the quality of your sleep.
A Restless Partner
Sadly, another issue that may be preventing tired moms from getting the sleep that they so desperately need is that they or their partner is restless during the night. In fact, there is an entire syndrome concerning this phenomenon known as RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome).
Of course, it is worth noting that it is not the fault of those suffering from such a problem that they move around involuntarily during the night, although it can keep their exhausted partner awake. There are some things that can be done about such a disorder to help alleviate and manage it. Something that means the sufferer and/or the person they share their bed with should be able to get much better quality of sleep.
A Less Than Ideal Sleep Environment
Finally, one last thing that may be hurting the sleep of exhausted mommas everywhere is their nighttime environment. This is because there are lots of small factors that can affect how we sleep are present in the room around us.
One of these, in particular, is the temperature that you keep your bedroom. With it being either too hot or too cold, it is much harder to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
You may not have considered it, but air quality and allergies may be having an effect on whether you are sleeping well or not. Luckily, this can be quickly resolved by opening your windows, using an air conditioner, a fan, or even choosing hypoallergenic bedding.
It could even be the color of your bedroom that is making it into a less than restful space! In fact, blues and greens in darker and more muted shades are thought to be much most restful that warmer shades like orange or yellow. A situation that means you may only need to do something as simple as repaint the walls to improve the amount and the quality of your sleep. Something simple, that as a busy mom, can make a massive difference to your quality of life.
If you’ve found this post, 5 Things Keeping Mom from sleeping (and it’s not the kids!), helpful, please share – thanks!
