The Stay at Home Mother

I've never been someone who is a great sleeper. I have used ear plugs since I was in University and usually can't get to sleep until after midnight. Even then, I find that I don't sleep soundly but rather, wake at different points during the night. And since becoming a mom - it's even worse.

Did you know that pregnancy and motherhood will increase a woman's risk of sleep problems? And whether you are a stay at home mom or not, each woman will at some point, face their own specific sleeping challenges.

A recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation discovered that 58% of stay at home moms wake up unrefreshed and sleepy a few times per week. And a whopping 74% say they have experienced syptoms of insomnia a few nights a week.

Many moms put off going to sleep to do all the household chores that didn't get done during the day, which of course, will leave them very sleepy the next day. And when everything is quiet in the household and a good chance to unwind for a mom - you will usually find her doing something that is NOT considered unwinding, but rather, quite the opposite.

For me as a writer, you will usually find me at my computer writing down my thoughts from the day. It is when I am the most focused and most creative. But I do know that I am depriving myself of some much needed zzzs when I choose to do it at night.

In addition, I think a lot of moms (especially new moms) have the "one eye open" syndrome. In which they have learned to be light sleepers so that they can hear the baby cry or listen to their baby's breathing during the night. It's just what we do - and we have learned to adapt. But once they are no longer a baby, are we now risking our health?

Some handy tips to follow (which I am desperately trying to do) are as follows:

Make a list of things you need to get done for the following day. That way, you aren't lying in bed thinking about it all night.

Reduce your intake of caffeine during the day (not just coffee, but ice tea, coke, etc)

And when it is bedtime for the family and everyone is tucked away in bed - join them. And stop sweating the small stuff from the day that you didn't get everything done - there is always tomorrow and your health is far more important than any of those other chores in the house.

And with that I am off to bed to get some much needed sleep - and stop blogging about it!