Many working moms – myself included – with young kids suffer from poor quality sleep and sleep deprivation.
There are good reasons why. Between the responsibilities of work and motherhood, it can be hard for us to relax and get the hours we need.
That’s especially true in the early stages of motherhood when our kids are still young and don’t always sleep through the night.
It’s not just our kids that keep us awake at night – stress, anxiety, endless to-do lists, and worrying about work can all make sleeping a challenge.
As a result, we get less hours than we should and the quality of our sleep suffers. We wake up more often at night, have trouble falling and staying asleep, and feel less rested the next day.
That can lead to a lot of emotional and physical stress, which then further affects our sleep – it’s a vicious cycle.
Getting to bed earlier is one potential solution to our common sleep problem, but let’s be honest – that’s not always realistic.
After the kids go to sleep, I’m often trying to catch up on the day’s unfinished tasks.
Even if I can’t get to bed as early as I would like, good evening habits help to improve my sleep quality and help me feel a bit more rested the next day.
In this post, I’ll share the ones I practice regularly that are helpful.
How good sleep habits improves our sleep quality
Having good evening habits – or good sleep hygiene – means making changes to our environment and behaviors to improve the quality of our sleep.
That’s important, because poor quality sleep leads to things like increased fatigue and tiredness during the day, difficulty concentrating and regulating our emotions, and emotional and physical burnout.
Good sleep hygiene can improve the quality of our sleep by:
- Preparing our bodies and brains for sleep
- Acting as a signal to our bodies that it’s time to rest
- Managing stress and anxiety
- Helping us fall asleep faster
- Leading to deeper, more restful sleep
I’m big on good sleep hygiene. It helps me to sleep better after a long day of work and kids (so I can have enough energy to do it all again tomorrow).
1. Limiting screen time before bed
All of our phones, tablets, and electronic devices emit a type of light called blue light, which studies show can negatively impact our sleep.
It’s not just because we get lost in social media reels for hours; there’s actual science behind it.
In the daytime, blue light actually promotes alertness and makes us feel more awake. But when we maintain that exposure into the evening, it could have unwanted side effects – we stay awake longer, spend less time in the deep phase of sleep, and feel less rested the following day.
When I limit the time I spend on my phone/ tablet/ laptop before bed, I fall asleep faster and feel more rested the next day.
2. Drinking herbal tea
Drinking a warm cup of tea in the evenings always helps to calm my nerves and prepare me for sleep.
That’s partly due to the sedative effects that some herbal teas naturally have.
Although the exact mechanisms aren’t well-understood, some herbs contain plant compounds that interact with chemicals in our bodies to promote sleep and relaxation.
I’m always mindful of not drinking too much of it close to bedtime though, as waking up in the middle of the night to pee is not ideal.
My favorite nighttime herbal teas often include valerian, chamomile, and lavender.
3. Practicing mindfulness, a gratitude exercise, or meditation
Our mental state can significantly affect our ability to fall asleep, as well as the overall quality of our sleep.
Stress, anxiety, worry, and other heightened emotional states make it difficult for me to relax and fall asleep at night.
Practicing mindfulness, gratitude, or meditation in the evenings or just before bed helps me to relax and come out of those negative spaces, bringing my body and mind into a restful state for sleep.
4. Light exercise
Exercise has many health benefits and can have significant effects on our overall wellbeing.
It can also help improve our sleep by regulating our sleep-wake cycles, helping us fall asleep faster (and sleeping longer), and managing stress, all of which are important for good sleep.
I may not always have the time for long bouts of exercise, but even short, light exercise sessions help improve my sleep quality.
The type, intensity, and timing of exercise matters when it comes to promoting good sleep.
Exercising earlier in the day (or more than 4 hours before bedtime) doesn’t negatively affect sleep quality.
If we exercise later in the evening, it’s best to stick to light or moderate-intensity exercise. Research shows that high-intensity exercise within 4 hours of bedtime can delay sleep onset and negatively affect sleep quality.
We can also do short, regular bouts of light exercise in the evenings. This study suggested that 3-minute sessions of light bodyweight exercise (chair, squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises with straight leg hip extensions) every 30 minutes in the evening can improve both our sleep quantity and quality.
5. Prepping my room for sleep
Trying to sleep in a noisy, hot, brightly-lit room is like trying to get my toddler to be cooperative at the grocery store – I might be able to do it, but it’s going to be a struggle.
Prepping my room for rest by turning off bright lights, minimizing external noises, and making sure the thermostat is set to a cool, comfortable temperature makes it much easier to fall and stay asleep.
Certain calming scents, like lavender, can also be part of pre-sleep room prep. Sometimes I use a lavender pillow spray on my sheets and pillows to further help me relax.
6. Limiting nighttime food and drink close to bedtime
Between work and taking care of my son, sometimes the day goes by so fast that the only time I can sit down to eat dinner is after he goes to bed.
Unfortunately, that tends to be pretty close to my own bedtime. It’s not ideal, but it’s either that or… I go to bed hungry.
If I eat a large meal too close to bedtime, my sleep is always terrible; I wake up more often, toss and turn at night, feel hotter, and am just uncomfortable.
I try to limit my evening fluid intake to no more than a glass of water and a small snack, and stop eating large meals at least 2 hours before bed to minimize nighttime awakenings.
7. Being as consistent as possible with my bedtime
Having a consistent bedtime is a big part of good sleep hygiene.
I try my best to get to bed around 11.00pm – 11.30pm at the latest – every night.
Of course, there are nights when things don’t go smoothly or I spend way too much time zombie-scrolling through social media reels, and I get to bed much later than I’d like.
It happens. I don’t beat myself up about it, but I make it a goal to be as consistent as I can.
8. Practicing self-care
While I don’t typically have much time in the day for it, I try to squeeze in some self-care into my evening routine.
Practicing self-care helps me to relax and lifts my mood, which makes it easier to fall asleep and get a good night’s rest.
My evening self-care habits are usually simple and uncomplicated, like using a shower steamer while I’m in the shower or putting on a sheet mask for 10 minutes before bed. They’re little things, but they make a big difference.