Self-Care

5 Proven Ways to Get Better Sleep for Busy Moms

Tossing and turning in bed all night?

I know the feeling.

You’re exhausted, but your brain is still up. You’re scared that you might not fall asleep.

In the morning, it’s hard to function, right?

You find it hard to focus on anything. You feel light-headed and restless. And you feel cranky too.

This is because good sleep is as essential as healthy diet and exercise.

So, here are scientifically (and personally tested) ways to get better sleep at night.

Kindly note that this is for informational purposes only and MUST not be substituted with medical advice. If you have chronic insomnia, don’t hesitate to talk about it with your personal physician. All trademarks and trade dress are recognized in this post.

Get under the sun

proven ways better sleep moms

The bright light from the sun tells our brain it’s morning and keeps our normal circadian (sleep-wake) rhythm in order.

Here’s some research about it:

At home, my family and I got into the habit of being under the morning sun. We usually run or walk together on our rooftop.

It not only helps us sleep better but have that time together before a busy day.

Avoid screen time in the evening

The blue light from your laptop and cellphones confuses the brain into thinking it is still daytime.

Experts advise avoiding using gadgets an hour or two before going to bed. This gives our brain the time to transition from being awake to feeling sleepy.

I try to limit my gadget use when it’s already late afternoon. We usually have some downtime with our daughter — doing her homework, going for a walk, and other activities.

However, if you need to use your electronic gadgets, maybe a blue screen filter can help.

For Android phones, a free app called Twilight helps to reduce blue light emission. On the other hand, Apple IOS users can turn on their Night Shift.

Try 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

I think this is a must-try for anyone who desperately wants to get some sleep. It was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, a Harvard doctor who practices holistic medicine.

It is also called ” Relaxing Breath.” You could supposedly fall asleep in just a minute.

4-7-8 Steps

  1. Exhale completely through your mouth. Try making a whoosh sound.
  2. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose while counting until four (4).
  3. Hold your breath for seven (7) counts.
  4. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound while mentally counting until eight (8). This is one breath
  5. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle until you find yourself yawning.

When I’m yawning, I tell myself I’m sleepy, and somehow, my brain follows.

Use a Memo

proven ways better sleep

Sometimes your mind might be too hyped up for tomorrow. Or you’re worried about the tasks ahead.

You can try writing a to-do list before going to bed.

A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found out that people were able to sleep faster when they wrote a very detailed list of things they want to accomplish the next day 5 minutes before hitting the sack.

Set 30 to 60 minutes Before Bed to Relax

You need to tell your mind and body that it’s time for bed by doing a calming activity like reading, listening to music, writing in your gratitude journal, or even taking a warm shower. You also need to avoid bright lights.

I often listen to instrumental piano music at night. You might like to try ambient noise too.

At home, we often dim the lights to yellow at 7:30 pm to condition ourselves ( especially our little toddler) that it’s going to be bedtime soon. Sometimes, I would even join my daughter in putting colors on her coloring book.

How about you? What do you do when it’s hard to fall asleep at night?

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32 Comments

  1. Love Compoc says:

    the memo! I have so many things in mind like to do’s the next morning, next day, on weekend , and many more! So much that i find myself in front of my mobile phone to divert my mind ended up occupied to stuff i read online.
    I will try this one and the 478 style to attract sleep. Also, my eldest son has trouble sleeping sometimes kaya will let him try this one and hope this works. Mega thanks to your tips

    1. Madz | Mommy N' More says:

      You’re welcome! Yes neverending talaga ang to do list natin mga mommies kaya maganda na sa gabi medyo magrelax na ang brain. Hope 4-7-8 works for you and your son! Thanks for reading and commenting !

  2. pchi peach says:

    Thanks for this tips mommy… subukan ko to sa tanghali pag matulog aq. for now kasi sa gabi aq gcng dahil ang baby q 12am gcng till 5am. sa umaga di nko makatulog kahit gusto q.

    1. Madz | Mommy N' More says:

      You’re welcome. Yes try mo mommyy Peachy baka magwork! Mahirap nga yan na sabay ka kay baby matulog.

  3. Wow this is nice mommy may mga paraan pala para maganda ang tulog sa gabi.Keep it in my mind this tips mommy thank you

    1. Madz | Mommy N' More says:

      Yes please do. They helped me a lot. Medyo worrywart kasi ako haha and I know maraming moms na hirap rin kumuha ng antok

  4. This is really what i need momshie.

  5. Great techniques. I'm guilty of that too. I am a mom and I also run through things I need to do next day. Maybe I should put it in my to do list before I go to bed, sounds like it will help! For me, getting good exercise also gets me better sleep at night.

  6. Usually I fall asleep easily since I'm mostly tired every day Haha. But sometimes when I have to sleep earlier than usual, or that I'm just not sleepy at all, I struggle and ends up staying awake on the computer or in front the TV until my eyes almost close while I should sleep earlier than that. Unfortunately, it's not thoughts about things to do that runs in my mind but loads of random thoughts that won't be usefull for me to write down on a note. So can't do technique 2. I don't do Yoga either, and I honestly don't see myself doing those exerices before sleeping anyway Haha even thought I'm sure it's relaxing. So technique 3 neither haha. But the 1st one seems really interesting and it worked almost everytime for you. So I'll remember this one for when I have trouble falling asleep and see if it helps, thank you for the tips !

  7. Us mums think of so many concerns that it is really difficult to relax the mind during the night so we can doze off. I have tried breathing + taking down notes on my mobile during those nights when sleep is elusive. I have yet to try doing the pigeon pose, though, will most definitely try it our one of these days.

  8. There are days I'm finding it hard to sleep well at night, and I can attribute that to thinking a lot of things when I'm already in bed (what to cook for breakfast tomorrow, what my son needs to bring to school, what school snacks/lunch to prepare for my son, etc.). I'll keep these reminders in mind, sis. Thanks for sharing! — Maria Teresa Figuerres

  9. I really can't survive on little or no sleep! I don't think I'm hardwired to be a MOMbie hehe.

  10. Thanks for the yoga tips i might need this one of these days 🙂

  11. This is exactly what I need. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  12. I used to have trouble sleeping but now that I do all the household chores, my bed is my bff. I simply lie down and I am in lalaland.

    Xoxo
    MrsMartinez

  13. What an interesting and helpful post! Fortunately I don't have sleep problems but will definitely keep these tips in mind just in case. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  14. My sleeping pattern is weird: sometimes I fall asleep TOO easily and sometimes I can't fall asleep at all. Got to try these tips!

  15. Just reading the word yawn makes me yawn! This is so true, I'm still struggling to get back to my usual sleep routine. I currently employ the "memo it" method and so far it works well for me!

  16. Great tips! Although I do not have problems falling asleep, yet. But your tips will come in handy in the future.

  17. Wow thanks for sharing this! Will try them later 🙂

  18. thank you so much!!! been having trouble w sleep lately 🙂

  19. Great tips! I often find it hard to fall asleep. I kind of follow the "memo it" tip. Before bed I usually play around with my planner and jot down everything that needs to be taken care of the next day. That way I no longer have to think about them at night.

  20. I'm jetlagged now so I fall asleep at the weirdest times XD

  21. I never really had a problem sleeping "like a baby".. not until being pregnant with baby #5! I'll be trying the tips you posted here.

  22. I do the "memo it" but sometimes, i still can't help myself to think random thoughts. Haha! I'll try this mommy. Thanks for sharing!

  23. I'll try to do that too. It'll be good for blood circulation too 🙂

  24. hehe thanks! tell me if any of them works on you 🙂

  25. I like the idea of Memo it. It often takes time for me to sleep because I have so many things rushing through my head. I'll give this a try.

  26. Would definitely a big help for me. Will try the 478 tonight, been doing memo it for years now, the pigeon pose is I think a no-no for me as of this time. In addition if the memo it doesn't work, as what I've read you can elevate your legs against the wall, while doing this, say your prayers, wait til 10-20 mins and before you knw it you're in dreamland na 🙂 this works for me almost everynight.

  27. I will do the 478 breathing technique now. haha. yes, people here are all still sleeping because we all got home late from a school educational field trip.

    Thanks for this!

  28. I really need this! Sana makaya pa ng katawan ko ang pigeon pose haha. The memo it is very helpful too. As for me, applying doterra oil (lavender) in my sole do help me a lot in my sleeping needs.

  29. Oh, this is an interesting article! Thanks for the tips, mommy! Will try this out, later. He he 🙂

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