This is a sponsored post by Cocoon Cam. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.
Making time for sleep as a mom is one of the greatest struggles you will encounter. Between the newborns night feedings, toddlers adjusting to their new beds, young children having nightmares, and eventually teenagers staying out late. We may never sleep a full nights again. I’m no sleep expert, but I’ve created a list of fool proof ways to get a good nights sleep that have helped me for the last 3+ years.
1. Figure out how much sleep YOU need to function
This mom may only require six hours of sleep to get by, while another mom may need ten hours to feel like a human being again. Every woman is different, our needs are all different. Figuring out how much sleep you need in order to feel alive, take care of yourself + your children, and stay sane is very important. Try to start getting in bed at night and out of bed the next morning by a certain time. This will help your body to naturally figure out when it should be doing what which is helpful in the long run.
2. Sleep when the kids sleep
The oldest piece of advice in the book, but also the most useful. During my three and a half years as a parent, I have ALWAYS utilized nap time to get some rest if I felt like I needed it. There is nothing selfish about choosing to also lay down instead of doing those dishes. They will still be there when you wake up, but you will be more rested and ready to tackle them. I still do this now with my toddlers if I didn’t sleep well or am feeling myself start to slow down throughout the day.
3. Remove unsafe items from the crib or bed
Getting restful sleep will be a lot easier if you are not having to worry about whether they have gotten caught in their crib bumper, stuck under their pillow, or wrapped up in their blanket. These things are debated heavily still, but the simplest way to give yourself that peace of mind is to remove them completely. They have plenty of years to have a pillow and blanket in their bed when they are big enough to not get caught in it.
4. Invest in a top notch baby monitor
There is no limit to the amount of things you can get done, like sleep, when you have the right monitor watching over your littles. Investing in a great monitor with the features that are important to you will be one of the best things you do as a parent. For us, the Cocoon Cam Plus was the obvious choice. The set up was simple and works anywhere there is an interest connection. With HD video and night vision, you are able to clearly see your children at any given moment with the app from your phone. It acts as a walkie talkie allowing you to talk to your child through the 2 way audio feature. Instant alerts are sent to you when your child is waking up, falling asleep, crying, or if their breathing changes.
With October being SIDS Awareness Month, this is an especially comforting feature with the Cocoon Cam PlusĀ (click this link to read more about its features). While other monitors offer the ability to stay in the know about your baby’s breathing – they require that your wiggly newborn baby keep a bracelet or sock on throughout the night. This camera monitors breathing without a wearable, mat, or attachment of any kind. You can order your own Cocoon Cam Plus through Amazon (linked here).
5. White noise
We used lullabies, sound machines, and fans to help drown out background noise for our children. I myself sleep better with white noise, not hearing every cricket and creaking sound the house makes throughout the night. Children are no different. It is also a good thing to help your children adjust to sleeping with noise.
6. Relaxing routines
For you and for your children, it is important to have relaxing routines before naps and bed. The nap time routine should be much simpler than the bedtime one, but something relaxing that gets them (and you) in the mindset that it is time for sleep works well. My kids take a bath, get lotion + pjs, we read books, and tuck in. For myself it is a simple self care routine to remind me ‘hey, we’re about to go to bed’ that helps me.
7. Create a comfortable atmosphere
Make sure that you sleep space (and your children’s) is comfortable. If you don’t sleep well when you’re hot, turn down the temperature or remove a blanket from your bed. If you can’t sleep without a fan, make sure that fan is on and properly working. Don’t give yourself any reason not to sleep well throughout the night.
Like I said before, I am not a sleep expert by any means but I do know what has and hasn’t worked for us. These seven tips have been the most beneficial to myself and my family for getting the best possible nights sleep. Things like sickness, monsters under the bed, and being overtired obviously sometimes throw a wrench into these plans. That is #momlife and it’s often unpredictable. Do you have any sleep tips to share? I’d love to hear about them in comments!
