For the longest time I thought my kids were just night owls and didn’t require very much sleep.
My husband and I struggled for the longest time because we couldn’t figure out what to do. Our relationship was lacking due to us not getting any quality, personal time together. It felt like we were in bad moods, our patience was thin and we seriously thought this was just going to be our lives for the next 5 years.
My mothering skills lacked more because I was tired and the 4 cups of coffee a day wasn’t helping. I wasn’t eating well, I was mentally drained, I felt like a train ran over me every single morning. “Something has got to give” my husband and I both said to each other.
It was depressing because my husband and I felt like we didn’t get to say 3 words to each other when he got home, before the next day had to start.
We asked all of our friends, and they seemed to have it all figured out. We knew then we just had to try something new.
We had tried melatonin gummies for a short time, and I did enough research to know how horrible those were for their long term health, and nothing was worth threatening that! Then we tried bananas, because of something we had read. Then we tried essential oil spray, and foot rubs. We tried supplementing vitamins during the day to help with what we thought was attitude problems… the list goes on and on.
We were getting desperate.
Let me tell you before this next part, I am not selling a product, just giving advice. If you’re looking for a miracle product… I wish you the best of luck but I hope you keep reading. Trust me, I’ve been there.. I get how you’re feeling.
We decided we were going to be SUPER strict in a bedtime routine, and try and stick with it for at least two weeks just to see if it would help.
We made a list of how we wanted it to go.
Something like:
- Bath time
- Snack time
- Low energy games like memory/matching game
- Floss, brush, mouthwash
- Book or lullaby
- Bed time 🥱
We made sure there wasn’t any tv or electronic on at least one hour before we started the routine. This is a big one I’ve read about! White light will keep their minds awake, as it does for us too!
Don’t be afraid to make it fun by printing out a paper, sliding it in a plastic sheet and letting them check off the boxes as they go! Making bedtime enjoyable is the first step to success!
Let me just say.. a routine worked for us! We finally get time for ourselves, our children are in better moods and so are we. It’s truly magical what good sleep can do for the body.
My kiddos have much better mindset through the day, as do I! They eat better, act better and all around feel better.
If you’re struggling too, make a routine and be very strict, sticking to it for at least two weeks.
Sometimes that means leaving a friend’s early, or giving up things you might want to do, but it just takes a couple of weeks. Then, you’ll have plenty of time before you go to sleep to enjoy the night.
Good luck to you, and let me know how it goes!! Sweet dreams 💤