We all love our children, especially when they're asleep! Unfortunately, even the best sleepers have bad nights and that can impact the whole family. Whether it's a hungry baby, a sick child or a bad dream when you have been disturbed from a deep sleep it can be difficult to nod off again. Ideally, we would train our kids to sleep all night, every night but until that happens; here are MiniJumbuk's simple tips to help you back to sleep again.
Relax - once you have been woken, there is no way that you will get back to sleep if you lie awake fretting. When you have settled your child, return to bed and calm your body and your mind. Lie quietly, take some deep breaths and try some muscle relaxation exercises. Squeezing and releasing every muscle progressively from top to toe is an excellent way to release tension.
Avoid your clock - while it is particularly tempting to constantly check the time, clock watching is unlikely to be helpful. Calculating the hours of lost sleep is liable to increase distress and contemplating the horrors of the following day with no sleep will only induce a sense of panic. Turn your clock away and keep your phone off.
Count sheep - at MiniJumbuk, we of course, love all things sheep and wool and think this is a great idea. You may prefer to count your blessings, totting up the fabulous things that happened throughout the day. Practically, counting is soothing: it provides a focal point for your mind and a distraction from all those pointless thoughts that assume ridiculous importance at 4am.
Hop up - if after 20 minutes your child has settled but left you staring at the ceiling, try a change of scenery. Get out of bed, keep the lights low and grab something dull to read, find some quiet music or make a warm drink until you feel sleepy again. Ignore the urge to watch TV or check your socials, screens emit stimulating blue light that will keep you up longer.