Let’s Talk About Momsomnia
No matter how you used to sleep, once you become a parent, sleep can become maddeningly elusive. The frustration of this insomnia deepens once your little one starts sleeping through the night and you lay awake. This is so commonly experienced that the term Momsomnia was coined. But no doubt, Dadsomnia must also be a thing.
Your baby has trained you to sleep lightly and become alert at any time of night. Setting aside the physical, hormonal and psychological causes of insomnia, the simple act of waking in the night, for months, perpetuates the waking itself. Now your rhythm is totally off. It’s going to take some time and retraining to get back to healthy sleep.
What To Do:
- Make sleep a priority for you and your family. It’s surprising how long a family can go without enough sleep. But you are all suffering the short and long term effects. Let your friends and family know that you will be making sleep a priority. The more support, the better.
- Consider sleep training if your baby is over 4 months of age and is still waking multiple times in the night. Providing long, consolidated night sleep for your baby is important for healthy development and learning. Once your little one is sleeping, shift focus to your own sleep.
- Overhaul your sleep hygiene
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- Choose a regular bedtime and wake time, and be consistent. The most important factor in healthy, restorative, adult sleep, that also wards off disease, is a regular sleep schedule. Aim for 8 hours, something like 10 PM – 6 AM, to coordinate with a natural circadian rhythm.
- Prepare your brain for sleep by shutting off screens, one to two hours before bedtime. The light emitted sends a message to the brain that it’s morning. Our eyes, brain and sleep processes evolved with a complex and co-ordinated circadian system that is set by light and dark.
- Curb your caffeine and alcohol intake. These can both negatively impact sleep.
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- Consider Mindfulness Training or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. These techniques teach you to recognize your thoughts and associated psychological states and help you to attain a more peaceful mindset.
- Be kind and patient with yourself. It will take some time to retrain your brain and body, but you can get there with consistency and support.
For more tips on adult sleep see Adults Need Sleep Training Too!