How to get a good night’s sleep during lockdown
During lockdown both children’s and parent’s sleep can be affected due to being out of the usual routine and rhythms of daily life. I’m going to share with you my top tips for keeping your sleep on point as it’s going to help you through this strange time!
When we’re stuck at home, surrounded by the same few people and perhaps trying to juggle work and family life simultaneously, it’s bound to bring about added stress, not to mention the worries we have about the world and our futures.
It’s a fact that our minds are less rational when we are tired and we have a harder time handling our emotions so during these times, getting enough sleep is key to having a good mood and healthy mind. With that, everything else will seem a lot easier so if you are trying to work while home-schooling or hold up your family’s moods and maybe even sleep train your little ones…it will all be more manageable with a well rested head on your shoulders.
Our sleep is also vital for our health. We’re far more susceptible to germs and illness when we are depleted and the same goes for your children. They’re not getting their usual healthy exposure to everyday germs being around other children so their immune systems need protecting more than ever with healthy sleep.
Of course the whole family will benefit from being well rested. I know only too well how it feels when two parents are trying to run two businesses under the same roof as two children attending their own timetables of remote learning.
One technical glitch can send us into a panic and tensions can rise and let’s face it, we can all get on each other’s nerves when we’re around each other all the time!
If you add into the mix a tired and grumpy person too tired to be able to manage their behaviours to their best (yep, i’ve been that person too), it can make for a truly miserable time – But just imagine how much better it could be with one simple fix, getting a good night’s sleep!
So what can you do?
1). Try to get outside every day!
This is easy if you’re in warm climates and the sun is shining but even if you’re in cold and grey parts of the world and even if it’s just for a short while, a walk, a jog just some time outside for you and the little ones is really important and it will help with night sleep.
2). Turn off all the media well before bedtime.
So for your little ones, give them a clear hour with no screens before the bedtime routine. It’s a good time to play a family game to suit their age or read stories or even have a longer bathtime if your little one needs a change of scenery.
Once the little ones are in bed, remember to give yourself a screen break too before you head off to bed.
3). Keep to a consistent bedtime. It’s too easy for us to lose track of time and get out of routine so set a reminder on your phone or keep watch of the time so you can keep the routine and bedtime consistent.
This will make a difference to how easily or challenging it is to fall to sleep – when the body is in a regular rhythm, it almost expects to go to sleep at the same time each night and we want to make it as easy as possible to get the sleep we and our little ones need.
…Are you sleep training your little one as well? If so, you’ll already be paying close attention to bedtime routine and settling them to sleep. Also stick to a consistent response to any wakings in the night to give your little one a reliable way to get back to sleep.
Do you have a hard time getting your child off to sleep at bedtime or find they are up a lot during the night? Let us know in the comments if this is something you’re struggling with?
4). Socialise!
Yes, I know, it’s the very thing we’re being told not to do and I don’t mean up close with people but we are social beings at our core and locking ourselves away is damaging to our mental wellbeing. Children too.
Being around parents all of the time is not the best for them either. Now, I appreciate it is very hard, in fact pretty impossible for little ones to keep the recommended distance away from each other outside so if you can’t go for a walk in the park with others at a safe distance, you could try socialising online and playing a game like charades.
Connecting with others is still important for all of us so think outside the box and make it a priority. How is this good for sleep? It will enhance your mood and sense of fulfillment which will help you relax more when it’s time to sleep.
5). This one’s for you, Brain Dump!
Your busy mind can keep you awake or lead to light and disturbed sleep. Keeping a notepad close to hand is a great way to jot down all things that fly through your mind, however big or small, important or trivial, if it’s an ‘open running app’ in your mind, it’s taking up brain space and can cause added overwhelm, frustration and even worry.
You’re probably juggling a lot of things and taking care of others too so let your mind relax and stay present in the moment by dumping all the things on your mind onto a page.
You can then come back to it later when you have some time, check off any tasks or process any thoughts you hadn’t finished with!
This is a great way to help yourself to get the sleep you need so that you can be in the best physical and mental state to look after the little ones in your life!
Being in a lockdown is a totally unnatural situation so it inevitably has an impact on our lives in so many ways. When it feels like you can’t do anything to make things better, just remember that you can work on you and your family getting healthy sleep and the whole picture looks brighter when you’re sleeping soundly at night!
We’d love to hear your tips and tricks for things you’ve found helpful in getting you through lockdowns so leave us a comment below.
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