It's pretty ironic that even though days can be exhausting for mamas with little ones, it's often difficult to fall asleep when you finally get to bed. It's easy to find your head spinning with To Do lists, work stress, and dread over how tired you're going to be when you have to wake up in the morning. In this post we're talking about sleep hygiene, or your habits around sleep, because the quality of your sleep affects nearly every aspect of your life. We’ve gathered information about how to improve your sleep hygiene in the evening so you can wake up feeling better. 

A Relaxing Environment: Light plays a key role in keeping your body on track for a good night’s rest. Make sure you get enough sunlight during the day, and at night invest in some black-out curtains to cue your body that it’s sleep time. Dim the lights an hour or more before going to bed using phone reminders to keep you track. Also, switch off all electronics at least one hour before bedtime (or at least try.) The blue light emitted by the devices works against your body’s natural twenty-four hour rhythm.

Discomfort in your bed can also be a real issue when you’re struggling to turn off your brain and relax. Making sure your sleepwear and bedding are super comfy will help. Our luxurious sleep and loungewear for pregnant and nursing mamas is designed to accommodate your changing body and make nighttime nursing sessions easy. 

Ritual: We know that it’s hard for mamas to create an hour-long ritual before bedtime. It’s great if you make it happen, but we put together some ideas to make a sleep ritual seem doable! First, do your best to find a set bedtime. Then, you can sip something soothing. Create small rituals such as a three-minute relaxing meditation paired with a quick sniff of lavender oil. These small actions can be enough to signal the brain that it's time for bed. If you have more time, warm baths are one of the best ways to relax the body and mind. 

Improved Emotional State: Clear the air with an aromatherapy diffuser or listen to calming music, soothing sounds, or a yoga nidra meditation. Also, news and social media are a fast track to stressing you out (take that, Instagram!) Try reading something calming or inspirational instead. If these suggestions aren’t working, get yourself a special journal and let all your worries and fears out on paper. Feeling that these thoughts are contained somewhere besides your head can be a real relief. Weighted blankets are great for quelling the anxiety that many of us experience as mothers.

We hope you find one of these ideas helpful. Remember, just like you create a bedtime routine for your little ones, you need one too. Sweet dreams, mamas! Let us know if any of these or helpful or you have another idea to share.