How to help a mother to have a better sleep at night?

  How to get your baby to sleep well is definitely an especially worry for all mothers. I also have heard many moms complain about their babies not sleeping cause the whole family can not sleep and rest. Restless baby sleep will lead to restless parents’ sleep. For example, some newborns won't sleep unless held. So mothers need to hold their babies all night long. It makes mothers exhausted.

  That is why we need to find out some way to figure it out.

1. Why does a mother also need a good sleep at night?

  When a mother’s biological clock is completely disrupted, she can not fall asleep after her baby falls asleep. Or she will wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, and her sleep quality will be seriously reduced. Decreased sleep quality can affect the daily life and health of all mothers.

  Bad sleep can affect a person's mental state, productivity, and even health status. Normally, adults need at least 7-9 hours of sleep per day.

  New research shows that sleep quality is closely related to brain vitality. The Max Planck Research Center in Germany monitored the sleep of 160 men and women and found that a good night's sleep helped people to promote brain vitality, and a good nap had the same effect.

  The other survey in the UK showed that nearly half of adults - mostly mothers - feel they are mentally unwell and can't get enough sleep. The survey also found that mothers are more likely than fathers to have sleep problems and have more trouble falling asleep again after waking up in the middle of the night.

  Lack of sleep will cause anxiety and concentration problems. Lack of sleep for mothers even can affect the health of the whole family.

2. Why don’t mothers have enough sleep? 

• disordered sleep rhythm

  Under normal conditions, light is a significant factor for people that will affect their sleep rhythm. When the light becomes dim, cells in the retina will sense the change and transmit signals to a place in the brain called the epiphysis. Then epiphysis begins to secrete melatonin and release signals to people to fall asleep. The lights in a bedroom and the blue lights of electronic screens can inhibit the secretion of melatonin, affecting people fall asleep.

• reduced melatonin production

  As we age, melatonin production will decrease. That is why more and more middle-aged and elderly people experience difficulty falling asleep and sleep deprivation.

• changeable body clock

  Once people stay up late for a long time, their biological clocks will change, the sleep phase will shift, and their bodies will adapt to fall asleep later. When it is time to sleep, you will have a particular hardship in falling asleep.

• other influential factors

  Psychological factors such as stress, tension, excitement, and environmental factors such as noise, can also cause people to have difficulty falling asleep.

3. How to have a good sleep at night?

• establish a sleep goal

  Every adult needs a different number of hours of sleep, usually between six and nine hours. It is important to observe and find exactly how many hours of sleep you need.

• develop a sleep habit

  Every new mother needs to develop a good routine and maintain a healthy sleep habit. Try to go to bed at roughly the same time every day, even on weekends. Don't stay in bed. Staying in bed makes it hard to sleep at night and disorganizes your sleep routine.

  Many mothers will start to play on mobile phones or watch TV after putting their babies to bed. This is one reason that affects their sleep. Mothers should turn off the lights and go to bed at regular intervals. It both develops the good habits of their babies and themselves to go to bed on time.

• give up electronic products before going to bed

  Several studies and reports suggest that using electronic products like a tablet computer or a phone for bedtime reading may affect your sleep quality.

  When people read iPads or phones instead of books, they will go to bed later and fall asleep difficultly. Their levels of melatonin (the hormone that regulates sleep) are suppressed, and the secretion time is delayed. And the REM sleep periods also will be shortened.

  So mothers should try to give up their electronic products before sleeping.

• dim room lights

  Dim all light sources in your bedroom before going to bed. Including TVs, computers, and cell phones. Because the lights from TVs and computers can stimulate your brain and disrupt your sleep. In addition, the dimming light will tell your brain and body that it's about to go to sleep, allowing your body to enter a pre-sleep state in advance.

• organize your bedroom

  Some mothers may think that organizing a bedroom has nothing to do with sleep. But a cluttered room tends to cause mental irritation, which can interfere with people falling asleep. If you can take a little time during the day to put your room in order, you will feel very relaxed and eased when you go to bed at night.

• do some exercises

  Doing some exercises can help improve the quality of sleep.

• do not drink coffee and alcohol before going to bed

  Some people may have the habit of drinking coffee. I recommend mothers refrain from drinking coffee and alcohol in the afternoon because the caffeine is likely to affect their sleep at night. The metabolism slows down with age. The older you are, the harder it is to metabolize the caffeine and alcohol in your body.

• relax yourself before sleep

  Try to relax yourself before going to bed. You can create a relaxing process before bedtime for yourself, such as taking a hot shower, practicing bedtime yoga, meditating, or reading a book.

• do not eat before going to bed

  Do not eat or drink a lot before bedtime. Because your brain can't sleep when your digestive system is working. On the other hand, don't go to bed hungry either. It also will affect your sleep quality.

• drink some water

  Dehydration is one of the main reasons for light sleep. But do not drink a lot of water before going to bed to avoid going to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

• mothers can do a job rotation with fathers

  Mothers and fathers can take turns getting up to feed their babies. In this way, they both can have time to take a rest and ensure a certain amount of sleep.

• help your baby sleep better

  The basic way is to get your baby a sleep sack. A suitable sleep sack can help a mother a lot.

1) Organic Newborn Sleep Sacks With Mesh Cotton

  These sleep sacks are made for newborns that always feel insecure about the new world. They do need enough safety. And this kind of sleep sack has a different considered design: it is ergonomic with an anti-startle reaction. Newborns will get a similar feeling as they are in their mothers’ wombs. The two-way zippers are convenient for mothers to change diapers at night. The design help mothers save time and energy. Besides, this is a newly launched item for the coming summer. It is an updated version that has organic cotton mesh on arms and legs. It is easy to let heat out and make newborns feel cool and comfortable during sleep. And it also can make a baby’s sleep longer and more restful. Then mothers can get more time to have a rest.

2) Baby Bamboo Quilted Sleeveless Sleep Sack TOG 1.0

  Different from the above newborn sleep sacks, this bamboo sleep sack has a wider range of sizes. Newborns and toddlers from 0 months to 3 years old all can wear it. It is a sleeveless sleep sack that is convenient for toddlers to self-soothe. Bamboo fiber is buttery-soft and super-breathable. Babies can get an extremely comfortable sleep. Once a baby feels comfortable, he/she can have a longer, more restful sleep. At the same time, mothers can relax and get better rest.

3) Zip Thicken 2.5 TOG Sleep Sack With Sleeves

  The 0.5 TOG organic newborn sleep sacks with mesh cotton are suitable for babies to wear in summer. The 1.0 TOG baby bamboo quilted sleeveless sleep sacks are designed for babies to wear all year round. And these 2.5 TOG thick sleep sacks with sleeves are perfect to wear on cold winter days. It is a warm sleep sack that can give your baby snug and cozy feeling. Why can this sleep sack keep a baby warm? Firstly, it is made of double-layer cotton with padding. Secondly, it has a closed bottom and folded cuffs. Babies can hide their hands and feet in the sleep sack to keep warm.