6 Tips To Be A Well Rested Momma

How to feel rested as a mom?

Okay, first thing I have to say is the words “Rested” and “Mom” don’t often collide in the same sentence! But, we as moms still need rest, at least in the loses sense of the word.

I remember very well how hard it was when my first daughter was born. That first week was a complete blur! I had just gone from what I thought was sleep deprived due to pregnancy aches and pains to a jaundice new-born that would not nurse and had significant reflux which we were completely unaware of. Well, as you can see, I made it though;)

When my second daughter was born I thought I had it all figured out, Boy was I wrong! This time around we were prepared for the reflux and nursing issue (formula and bottles this time:) but not the sleeping through the night. Yeah, I just said sleeping through the night! What?! This can’t be right! I think I got less sleep this time around because I was constantly checking on her in disbelief!

Whatever the situation is causing your sleep deprivation, I have a few tricks that can help.

1. The old tried and true, sleep when your baby sleeps.
   While this does help, I found that it didn’t work with my second daughter. I know, shocker right, you can’t get both kids to sleep at once:)
2. Dividing the nights into shifts
   We did this early on. I’m a night owl and my husband is an early bird so I would take the first half of the night, usually until 2am or so and he would take the second half. Once there were fewer feedings and more fussy wakeups we went to alternating nights which you will read about next.
3. Alternate night feedings or wakeups
   This is one of the best changes we made! Not only did my husband and I each get to bond individually with the girls but, it gave each of us a night we could completely relax and not sleep with one eye open. That was one of my biggest challenges, shutting down completely at night was just so un-mom like. I can’t tell you how much of a positive difference that made for all of us!
4. Spa-ify your bedroom
   Now I don’t mean a total remodel but, making a few changes can help it be a more relaxing and inviting space. The most helpful changes I made were adding blackout curtains to my window, adding a lavender diffuser, keeping clothes put away and clutter off surfaces, turning bright clocks away from view, and keeping my cell phone out of my bedroom.
5. Ask for help
   I had and still have a hard time with this. I guess I feel guilty when I ask for help especially when it is to rest or catch up on sleep. But, an hour or two of alone time is like a weekend away sometimes! Check out our one-night parent getaway here.
6. Keeping a schedule
   As hard as this sounds, maintaining a fairly consistent schedule, especially at bedtime, really helps my body function. We are all creatures of habit and my body knowing what to expect helps my days and nights go smoother. My body knows when to shut down for the night and when to start my day.

These tips have kept me “functionable” during the early days and still work now that my girls are older. I’d love to hear how you have coped as well! Share your tips and tricks below!