ad – Sleeping well never stops being important, especially so when you have small children and sleep is in short supply, so here are three tips to sleep well and the best pillows to help.
No matter what type of sleeper you are, from an early bird to a night owl, here are tips to make the most of the sleep you do have (especially when it becomes more precious than ever!).
What’s Your Sleep Personality?
What time do you go to bed?
If I’m asleep by 11:30pm it’s an early night. Sleep deprivation is tough – something Even Prince William referenced, read my post on the seven rules of the sleep deprivation society – but despite swearing every morning that I’ll be in bed by ten that evening, guess what? I never do it.
I’m the stereotypical mum who stays up late because I value my precious pockets of child-free evening time as THE time to get everything done.
Even if that time is spent reading or scrolling through Instagram until the early hours.
(It’s not just me, right?).
It was no surprise that I’m a night owl, according to the sleep experts at TEMPUR®. They define a night owl as someone who is more productive in the evenings, doesn’t go to bed until midnight or later, and finds early mornings are their least favourite way to start the day. Which sounds spot on!
Find out your sleep personality by taking the quiz here.
Making The Most Of Your Precious Sleep
Because sleep is in short supply when you’re a night owl with small children, it’s important to make the most of the sleep that you do get.
Read our three tips to sleep well when you have small children, including the best pillows for a sweet sleep, however short it is.
Three Tips To Sleep Well When You Have Small Children
Buy The Biggest bed You Can
My top tip for happy parenting is to get the biggest bed you can. Because at some point you’ll all be sleeping in it. It’s inevitable! You will need the extra space.
Buying bigger bed bases can be life-changing. Trust me It means you’re not squished on a narrow strip of the mattress with a small foot in your face.
We went from a small sized double to a super king in the space of two kids. Warning: it’s impossible to go back.
Make Your Sleep As Comfortable As Possible
Having a comfortable bed will make a world of difference to sleep. Buy a big duvet so you’re all covered. Having a memory foam mattress can also help.
When it comes to the best pillows to help you sleep well, TEMPUR® is rated #1 in quality of sleep by customers, so they know what they’re talking about.
To help this night owl get a good night of sleep, TEMPUR® sent us the Classic Comfort Original Pillow, which is filled with TEMPUR®Material micro-cushions. This means it’s huggable and shapeable to you, while still being supportive. Which makes it super comfortable.
I had no idea pillows could be this cosy. Everyone in my house is currently fighting over it.
The pillow is also machine washable – perfect when you have little ones in with you – and it fits a standard pillow case.
Eliminate Night-time Distractions
My final sleep tip is to get rid of anything that can distract you and stop you sleeping. For me, this means:
Using an eye mask
An eye mask will block out all light and let you sleep well in seconds, even in the day.
I have an eye mask that wraps around my entire head (this works brilliantly for naps). I now take it absolutely everywhere.
Playing Sleep Sounds
Playing white noise or ambient sleep sounds can help you block out all other sounds. It’s also super soothing when you’re trying to sleep. Our favourite is rainforest sounds, or a sleep sound called ‘rain on a tent.’
P.S. this works for both adults and children.
Don’t Look At Your Phone In The Night
I’d love to say don’t look at your phone before bed but, well…it would be a lie. Instead, if I wake up for any reason. I never look at my phone as the light wakes me up so much I can’t go back to sleep quickly. It’s much easier to go back to sleep if you just don’t look.
You can watch my TEMPUR® reel over on Instagram.
Sweet dreams!
Also read what not to do when you’re sleep deprived and twelve signs your child is no friends of sleep and follow me on Pinterest.
This post is in conjunction with TEMPUR® but all thoughts are my own.
