So, you all should know that getting good quality sleep is more important than how many hours of sleep you get. Some people can survive on four hours of deep good quality sleep than eight hours of insomnia, nightmares, feeling hunger or thirst, etc. To me, falling asleep was easy before having a baby, but as all moms reading this will relate to, everything changes after having a baby, especially our sleep schedules. I’ve been on a mission to get better sleep. Even though my baby only wakes up once in the middle of the night now, I still was finding it difficult staying asleep and getting enough hours of REM sleep. According to healthline.com, twenty to twenty-five percent of our total sleep should be REM sleep. If you don’t know what REM sleep is, it’s the most profound sleep our body has at night. During REM sleep, our bodies are the most relaxed and move the least, but our eyes move the most, and it’s usually the time we have our dreams. So on this journey of getting more REM sleep for more extended periods, I will be sharing with you what I tried. So without further due, here is how I now sleep well throughout the night as a new mom to a now 16-month-old toddler.

Pitch Black

One of the crucial ways to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep is sleeping in a dark room. If your blinds are not enough to keep your room dark, I suggest you purchase black-out curtains. They keep the sun from peaking into your room in the morning (if you wake up when the sun comes out). I don’t need black-out curtains because I wake up when the sun hasn’t risen yet. I like insuring a dark room from outlet lights and my cell phone light by wearing an eye-sleeping mask. If you’re having trouble keeping yours over your eyes, then I found out that for me, mine stays on when I tuck the strap under a low ponytail. It’s not a good idea to sleep with your hair loose anyways, so tie your hair up loosely with a scrunchie, and tuck your eye mask under your pony; that way, it won’t come off in the middle of the night.

Sleep Training

This, hands down, was pivotal for me to get better sleep, but if you’re not a parent, then skip to the next tip. I did not want to let my baby cry it out, so I created a bedtime routine instead. You know your baby better than I do, so you have to schedule a bedtime and training that fits you and your baby. My baby goes to bed every night around 7:30 pm and gets a two-hour nap in the afternoon every day. We feed him a good meal at night, brush his teeth, maybe bathe him, change his diaper to nighttime pampers, and give him his bottle of milk. He is usually out within one hour. Having him sleep in his own room was very important as well. If you can, create a bedtime routine and stick to it. Speaking of bedtime routines, you need one too.

Bed-time Routine

It’s essential to have a nighttime ritual every night. Having a set bedtime is necessary too. I try not to go to bed past ten every night. I start an hour before bedtime, getting ready to wind down. I put my phone to charge, brush my teeth, do my skincare (when I’m not exhausted, I try to do it every night), and I usually take another shower and put on my pajamas. Usually, my body has gotten so used to my bedtime that I get tired around 8 pm. I tend to climb into bed around 9:30 pm every night.

Plants

I left the best for last! This, hands down, have helped me get a way better night’s rest. Just think of it as giving you the same effect as having a glass of wine, minus the empty calories and zero nutritional value. Firstly, I’d like to add that hemp does NOT get you high. I only use 100% organic hemp extract oil. I’ve tried using other natural medicine such as melatonin, but I felt like hemp helps with my anxiety as well and gives me much quicker results as well. I was skeptical and a little nervous when I first tried it. I placed the oil under my tongue for 15 seconds and then swallowed. I noticed within a few minutes of taking it, my body relaxing. I went to bed that night and didn’t wake up until the following day! I hadn’t slept that well at night since before the baby was born. So if you suffer from anxiety and/or insomnia, I would highly suggest you try out using hemp extract oil. Make sure you purchase it from a credible vendor. I bought mine from dazey.com (not sponsored, but they can if they’d like, hehe.).

I hope you guys got something useful that you will try out tonight; if you do, then make sure to let me know how it went! Please consider subscribing, liking, and leaving a comment down below. Thank you for reading this week’s blog, and I hope you have an excellent night’s rest.

– with love, Amanda