Tuesday 24 February 2015

My tips for a sleep deprived mum

Charlotte's new wake up time for the last couple of weeks has been 5.25am!! Is it just me or does anything before 6am still feel like the middle of the night? And when I say 5.25am, its this almost ever morning to the button, which seems strange.  But she's not upset or crying, quite the opposite, laughing and gurgling away to herself.  I normally try and leave her for a good 10 or 15 minutes as I lie in bed actually crossing my fingers, hoping she might drift back off to sleep, but this never happens and she just gets louder, so up we get.  I've pretty much ruled out teething being to blame for these sudden early starts because she's so jolly.  Maybe its just another stage in her development, but I'm hopefully its a blip and we'll be back to her old 6.30-7am wake up time soon.  Here's hoping.




But in the meantime, I thought I'd share some things I do when I'm feeling pretty sleep deprived that make me feel better and keep me going.  For those days when everything begins that bit earlier meaning you have a long day a head of entertaining a baby and a 4 year old when you wish you could just crawl back under the covers.  These are the days when teatime and your other half walking through the door seems a long way off.  So here's my tips...

1. Get up, get showered and put some make-up on.  As tempting as it is to lounge about in your jammies when you've had a rough night or early morning with your little one I always feel like I can face the day a bit better once I've had a hot shower with a zingy shower gel, got dressed (even if its only into joggers and a hoodie) and put on some make-up to cover the dark circles and feel a bit more like me.

2. Make yourself a coffee.  On days where its been an especially early morning, make sure its the good stuff, the kind that makes the whole house smell amazing.

3. Get yourself out of the house.  Lazing on the sofa can feel like all you have the energy for, but getting out of the house for some fresh air, even if its only a walk round the block, or to the shop or park (if you have another little one to entertain too) makes me feel so much better.

4. When your little one naps and if by some miracle this coincides with your other little one being off to nursery for a couple of hours, forget the housework, that pile of ironing that needs put away and just  put your feet up and relax  Even if you don't go for a nap yourself, just watch some rubbish on telly, catch up on some of your favourite blogs or do whatever it is that makes you feel chilled out -ultimately just give yourself a break to recharge, ready for that last slog.

5. Once the little ones are tucked up in bed for the night reward yourself  for surviving a LONG day. Whether that's with a cheeky glass of wine and some chocolate or a nice relaxing bath and a few chapters of your book.  But then get yourself  to bed and get some sleep.  As tempting as it is to make the most of every minute of those golden hours when they are fast asleep, you'll regret that last hour you spent browsing Pinterest, when you could have been catching up on your sleep, when your little one is wide awake again at 5.25am!!

For those of you reading this through bleary eyes, I hope something here helps make your day that little bit more manageable.  Don't worry it'll be bedtime soon.  Keep going.

E

xx
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6 comments:

  1. Lots of lovely advice. As I write this, my 11 week old sleeps in my lap. I got the 5:30 wake up this morning. i was able to crawl back in bed for 30 minutes before daughter (3 yr) woke up. Daughter at nursery this morning so should be napping but using this time to use the laptop. Lovely blog and inspires me to focus on my blog more. Best wishes!

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  2. Aw thank you lovely! Hope you managed to get some rest and relaxation time while your daughter was at nursery and your baby was a sleep xx

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  3. Another early starter here but that's because hubby gets up for work at 5.25am and wakes me and baby up! What you said about getting up and out is spot on because I have 2 older ones to get to school and that definitely gives me an energy boost in the morning. I'm also guilty of staying up late just to enjoy the quiet even though I know I'll pay for it at 5.25am :).

    Great advice and it's always nice to know you're not alone in the tiredness!

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    1. Oh dear :( No, definitely not alone :) Yup, me too on staying up late, but I'm trying to get better at this. xx

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  4. Perfect, perfect, perfect advice! I think I can count on one hand the number of good night's sleep that I've had since my eldest was born over four years ago. I have to force myself up and in to the shower but it's most definitely worth it. Sitting around in PJs can be tempting but gets us absolutely nowhere in the end.

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    1. Thank you lovely! I know, as hard as it is to persuade myself to get into the shower at 5.30am it always makes me feel just that little bit better :) xx

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