11 Sleep Hacks Every Worn Out Parent Needs To Know [Infographic]

Shane Dobbing https://www.sleepypeople.com 4m 1,039 #sleep

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Get Some Sleep Tonight With These Hacks

While some working weeks can breeze by, others can feel like running a marathon. Whether it’s physical or mental exhaustion, there are undoubtedly some mornings where we wake up feeling less than 100%.

This burnout is often made worse if, for whatever reason, you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep.

Just take a look at this interesting post from Hult International Business School which discusses how sleep deprivation affects work performance.

There are many reasons why you might struggle to get a good night’s sleep, however, one of the most prominent is having children.

As any parent knows only too well, there’s no guarantee of getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep once you have a child.

In reality, there are two things you can do. One is to hope your newborn loves and continues to love sleep for the first few years of their life. The second is to look for advice.

Thankfully, some great advice has arrived in the form of a new infographic from sleepypeople.com.

It’s called ‘11 Sleep Hacks Every Worn Out Parent Needs To Know’ and you can take a look at it for yourself below this post.

This helpful infographic offers up tips and tricks for lots of different parents, from pregnant mums to those with toddlers.

It includes a range of things which you may or may not have heard or considered before. From playing white noise to using essential oils and everything in between, this infographic can help any parent get that much sought after good night’s sleep.

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11 SLEEP HACKS EVERY WORN OUT PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW

Always tired, worn out, and sleep deprived? You must be a parent. Despite everyone telling you it won’t always be like this, you can’t help but wonder if night feeds, short naps, and sleepless nights are ever going to end.

Fortunately, (1) it will come to an end and (2) there are things you can do to relieve yourself of your ever-present tiredness. That’s why we’ve rounded up 11 sleep hacks for worn out parents so that both you and your child can sleep soundly tonight.

PLAY WHITE NOISE

• A consistent, low-level sound called “white noise” has been proven to help you and your little one fall asleep, but particularly your baby. This is because white noise is said to replicate the sound that the baby would have heard in the womb, whilst blocking out other noises.
• To create white noise, you can use an app especially designed for the purpose, or you could make use of an extractor fan, a hair dryer, or even a vacuum cleaner.

TAKE MELATONIN SUPPLEMENTS

• Melatonin is the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy and you can buy supplements of the stuff at most health shops.
• Dosing up on 1-3 mg of melatonin can improve both the rate at which you fall asleep and the quality of your sleep, so it’s worth getting your hands on some if you can.

KEEP OFF COFFEE AFTER LUNCH

• Parents, especially those of young children, are notorious for being tired. However, as tempting as it is to reach for that coffee after lunch, try to avoid it at all costs. In fact, as a general rule, avoid all forms of caffeine after 2 pm if you want to be able to sleep well through the night.

SWADDLE

• Swaddling is one of the best ways to get your baby off to sleep and, in turn, you get some shut-eye. Swaddling suppresses your baby’s startle reflex, which ensures that they’re less likely to wake themselves up by flailing their limbs around.
• On top of that, swaddling also feels like a tight, warm hug which will comfort your baby and could get them off to sleep sooner.

USE ESSENTIAL OILS

• To improve the quality of rest you get when you’re asleep, try rubbing some essential oils into the soles of your feet just before you get into bed.
• These natural oils have boundless uses, but the lavender and cedar wood varieties are great for promoting high-quality sleep.

TRY A CAFFEINE NAP

• For the ultimate refreshing snooze, switch a power nap for a caffeine nap. A caffeine nap is just like a normal nap, except you down a cup of coffee just before you close your eyes. The caffeine takes around 20 minutes to kick in, meaning that wake you wake from your slumber, you’ll do so feeling refreshed.

SKIP THE SCREENS

• For about an hour before it’s time to hit the hay, keep away from electronic screens. Although it can be tempting to check Facebook or Snapchat when your little ones have finally gone to sleep, electronic screens emit blue light which is notorious for keeping you awake during the night as it reduces the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone).

REMEMBER THAT CONSISTENCY IS KEY

• Creating a routine and sticking to it is crucial when it comes to both you and your child getting a great night of sleep. Try a routine such as bath, bottle, and bed every night, and your child will soon figure out that sleep always comes after the evening feed.
• The same works for yourself: getting into a bedtime routine also signals to your body when it’s time to go to sleep.

NOTE DOWN YOUR TROUBLES

• If you’re struggling to get off to sleep, it could be because you have too much on your mind; this is a frequent problem for parents.
• To combat this, try writing a list of your troubles before you go to bed and, underneath them, write down how you’re going to solve them. Knowing that your problems have solutions may help to ease you into a more restful sleep.

DITCH THE SUGAR

• Sugar isn’t just bad for your body; it’s also bad for your sleep. It has been said that those who eat a lot of sugar are more likely to wake up during the night than those who hold off on the sweet stuff. So, for a better night of sleep, don’t take sugar in your hot drinks, say no to the biscuits, and swear off the chocolate bars.

Brought to you by SleepyPeople.com

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