As a new parent, or a parent with younger children, getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep can be almost impossible. However, regardless of how hard it is to get those hours, it's still important that you do. Sleep deprivation can make you irritable, moody, excessively tired in the daytime, all of which can affect your ability parent or work effectively. Continue reading for five really great tips for parents who need to increase their sleep.
Sleep deprivation effect on parenting
Sleep deprivation can negatively impact positive parenting. Positive parenting means being responsive and warm towards your child. However, some research has shown that those who are sleep deprived are more stressed than those who are getting adequate sleep. Stress levels are associated with difficulty regulating emotions. This may explain why those who have less or fragmented sleep, or even those who have insomnia, show less positive parenting in the hour before their child's bedtime than those who get more sleep.
There are going to be days and nights when you just don't get enough sleep. That's the reality of parenthood. However, when these days start to string together, that's when it can become problematic. It's important that whether or not you have a child/children who sleep all through the night, you find a way to get in your recommended hours.
Sleep training your child is one approach, however, there are other ways that you can ensure you get good sleep as well. Here are 5 hacks for getting a bit more rest in those early years.
1. Have a wind-down routine
Children are not the only ones who need a wind-down routine to get them ready before bed. Parents also need a routine to get ready for bed that you follow every night before bed. If you have a tough time going to sleep any day of the week, adding in the craziness of bedtime with kids is not going to help with that. Even if you have a short sleep latency - the amount of time it takes to go to sleep - you may still struggle to transition into the bed after getting your kids ready to go to sleep.
This is why a wind-down routine can help you get your mind and body ready for bed. You can create an environment that promotes sleep so after the chaos of bedtime, you yourself have some activities that relax your brain and body for bed. This can include stretching, meditating, reading, taking a bath, or even just quality cuddle time with your partner. Whatever you decide to do, try to make it a habit, so when you start doing it, your brain recognizes the cues and begins getting you ready for bed.
2. Out of bed for mid-night wakings
If a crying or fussing child wakes you up and you have a hard time going back to sleep, then it's best to just get out of bed. The worst thing you can do if you wake up in the middle of the night and are unable to fall back asleep is just lay there. This is the equivalent of hanging out in your bed without any intention of going to sleep. Your bed should be for sleep and sex only so when you lay in it, your brain can make the association.
Therefore, if you wake up in the middle of the night, but can't go right back to sleep, then it's best to get up and go do an activity until you feel tired enough again to go back to sleep. This activity can include reading a book in low light or doing another meditation. Don't expose yourself to too much light or noise or other stimulation. Just enough to try and tire yourself out for bed again.
3. Get sun during the day and darkness at night
Being a new parent = wonky sleep schedules. With young infants who sleep most of the day, your circadian rhythm can be thrown all the way off. This is why it's important to try and help your brain out by exposing it to environmental cues that help regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
During the day, expose yourself to sunlight as this serves as a cue for your brain to release wake-time hormones like cortisol. The sun serves to "recharge you" and can help reset your clock.
During the night, it's best to avoid light of all kinds and exposure your brain to darkness. Then your brain knows it's time for bed and will start to release melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that dictates the sleep part of your sleep-wake cycle and is important for maintaining a good sleep schedule throughout the night.
4. Make a midday sleep plan
Sleep when the baby sleeps is a tip that all parents hear. However, it's much easier said than done considering that may be peak times to get things done such as cleaning or work or any other activity that can be difficult to accomplish when the baby is awake and needs attention. However, if your child kept you up all night, it's important to make up the hours missed during the day.
Therefore, it may be a great idea to set up a midday sleep plan where you decide which of the naps you will take with your child, and which ones you will get work done. This can be just a rough outline that you can go back to, but if you have days where you're more energized or more tired than you can make those necessary adjustments. The most important part is attempting to get your 7-8 hours in a 24-hour span in whatever distribution works best for you.
5. Involve children in conversations about sleep
Older children, around 4-5, may be mature enough to involve in conversations about why sleep is important and what time they think is appropriate to go to bed. By involving them in these discussions, they can feel like bedtime is their idea which can help reduce resistance and hardships around bedtime.
Talk to them about the benefits of sleep and even show them videos of their favorite athletes or super heros talking about how sleep helps them grow big and strong. This may be a great tactic for making sure that everyone in the house gets enough sleep. And most of all, be a good role model. If you take sleep seriously, then so will your kids. However, you disregard your bedtime and stay up until all hours of the night and then are tired the next morning, you may start to see those same patterns from your kids. 
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/sleep-advice-for-parents
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/parents