This is a guest post on the EasyStand Blog by Joan Celebi of Special Needs Parent Coach.
As parents of children with special needs, one of the toughest challenges we face is lack of sleep. Staying up late trying to keep up with massive to-do lists. Getting up during the night with children with irregular sleep patterns. Losing sleep worrying about a school situation or a medical issue. With everything that keeps us up at night, it’s a wonder we get any sleep at all!
You CAN fit in time for more sleep – in fact, getting enough sleep is essential to a more manageable, balanced life. When you’re getting enough sleep, things fall into place more easily, in all areas of life. You can be more energetic, more efficient, more patient, more positive, and more joyful — not to mention the many health benefits of getting enough sleep. In many ways, sleep is the key to balanced living.
Try some or all of these ideas for making more time for sleep – and make a more well-rested YOU a priority, starting now!
1. You are a good parent to your children. Also be a good parent to yourself. Tell yourself: “it’s essential for you to get the sleep you need.”
2. You set an alarm clock to wake up at a certain time every morning — why not do the same thing to go to bed on time each night? Use the alarm on your watch, or try the TimeTimer – it’s a visual timer that makes no noise. (available at www.TimeTimer.com)
3. Make a reasonable, doable goal for your bedtime. If it’s hard for you to fit in a full 8 hours of sleep every night, aim for 8 hours three nights a week, and 6 hours four nights a week. Or any combination that works for you. Then, write down on your calendar what days you plan to get to bed a little earlier, or sleep a little later.
4. Two or three hours before you plan to go to sleep, check your calendar, planner, and/or to-do list. What’s coming up? What do you need to get in place tonight, to be ready for tomorrow? The week?
5. Whenever possible, get ready for bed with your kids. It can be fun when the whole family puts on PJs all at the same time. In my family we sometimes have “pajama races” to see who can be ready for bed first!
6. After the kids go to bed, if you have some “active” tasks or to-do’s to take care of, such as cleaning up or preparing lunches for the next day, don’t get too comfortable just yet. Do your active tasks first, even though believe me, I know you’re tired!
7. When your “active tasks” are done, move on to anything you need to do that involves sitting: paying bills, catching up on some work, curling up with a good book or magazine and a cup of tea …
8. Whatever you do, I implore you: please do not watch the nightly news right before you go to sleep. Images and stories of violence and disaster are disruptive to the peaceful state your mind and heart need to be in for truly restful sleep.
9. DO try to do something relaxing before you go to bed, every night. Even spending just a few minutes on something quiet and restful — something you don’t have to think too much about — will help you sleep better.
10. Declare your bedroom a worry-free zone: keep somewhere else all the IEPs, medical books, notes from that last parenting workshop you went to, etc. Make your room an oasis — your home within your home. Take a little time to make it a place you can truly retreat to, complete with family photos, a few plants, mementos of happy moments, some good reading, a nice lamp, etc.
11. Not to get too personal, but how comfy is your bed? You may want to splurge on a nice set of sheets, a lovely blanket, a perfect pillow, etc. — a small price to pay if it helps you sleep better!
12. In the age of email and the internet, this may not be easy, but try to avoid “screen time” before bed. That includes computer, TV, video games … even though your body is sitting and may feel relaxed, your brain is stimulated by the screen and your sleep won’t be as restful. If you must check email at night, try not to make it the last thing you do before you go to bed. If you have a TV in your bedroom, consider moving it to someplace else in the house.
13. Try not to push yourself until you’re completely exhausted before you finally go to sleep. Resist the temptation to use every last possible moment to get things done, and keep up your physical and mental reserves.
14. Avoid negative thinking right before you fall asleep. Recall joyful moments, however small, that happened throughout your day. Think of loved ones, your favorite things, happy memories — whatever helps bring you a sense of well-being and contentment.
15. Go to sleep with a smile! Your mind interprets the smile as a signal that you’re happy – and responds with feelings of relaxation, peace, and inner calm.
And in case you need just one more nudge to get you on your way to getting enough sleep, consider this: when sleep is a priority for you, you communicate to your children that it’s not okay to skimp on sleep. You’re teaching them a healthy lifestyle that will serve them well, far into the future. When the whole family places top priority on getting enough sleep, both you and your kids will be healthier and happier.
How do you ensure that you get the sleep that you need? What methods work for you and what do you avoid?
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