Real-Life Insomnia Cures for Busy Moms

***Thank you to Tomorrow Sleep for sponsoring this post so I could fill you in on these real-life insomnia cures for busy moms!***

Friends, for the near entrity of my adult life, I have enjoyed a gracious share of insomnia. The really ugly ilk of insomnia to be exact, the kind that keeps you up night after night for countless hours. The kind that leaves you swooning gratitude if you snag more than a couple hours of rest per night. True story. Needless to say, as an over-extended mama of young ones, sleep has become a premium commodity. Setting aside the madness of tending to young kiddos’ endless demanding needs, I find myself grasping at every genius fix suggested–lavender oil, super sleep hygeine, eschewing evening screen time–the list goes on and on. And after all of this real life experimentations, I’m here to tell you what really works. The insomnia cures for busy moms that are worth grasping onto in the pursuit of SLEEP.

Real-Life Insomnia Cures for Busy Moms:

1. Don’t fret. I know, I know. Easier said than done. But seriously, this is my #1 tip. The more you fuss yourself up and worry over your lack of sleep, the concerns of your day, or your to-do list for the next day, the worse it will get. When I feel wakefulness set upon, I forcibly refuse to let myself fret on it. Instead, I fill my mind with anything positive I can grasp: reading a calming book (know yourself on this one–books I REALLY enjoy, like my current obsession with Outlander, tend to work me up more than relax me), happy thoughts of a movie I watched, or pleasant day(night!)dreams that carry me away for a bit. Take control of your thoughts. Even if you can’t find sleep, at least treat yourself to restful moments–they will make a difference the next day, I promise.
2. Put the devices to bed. I know this is a popular tick on sleep hygeine checklists. My reason for booting devices isn’t for anything so fancy as light interfering with sleep cycles, but rather it has been one too many 2am’s I’ve thought it harmless to pop in on my email account, only to find read something that jolts me into concern and fussing, thus precluding further sleep. The risk isn’t worth it. Us mamas will always find something to work up a concern over, let us not open Pandora’s Box in the middle of the night, so to speak.
3. Get the temperature right. Listen, I am a cold-blooded creature who tends to freeze full-on as soon as chilly weather sets in. To keep myself cozy, I have long turned to heated mattress pads, cozy sweats, or space heaters. These are all well and good, but don’t overdo the warmth. Sleep hygeine teaches that cooler temps lend to better sleep, and as an insomnia vetran, I can attest this truth well over. My rest is far, far deeper when the room (and myself) is cooler.
4. REST before bed. Whaaa? I know, busy mama–this doesn’t suit our crazed schedules well, but on the days I’m able to put the kiddos to bed then relax a tad with a show or a book before bedtime, I sleep so much better. A even wilder notion? Build rest into your day. The older I get, the more I realize the truth of this: if I am able to pause throughout my day for spells of time, I sleep better. It’s almost as if the harder I attack my day, the worse my rest will be. While this seems counter-intuitive, it seems that when my days are jam-packed, I crash into bed, too keyed up to rest.
5. Invest in your bed. When we were first married, we slept on the same bed my father did as a child. The mattress was so hard we had to pad it with towels to prevent bruising ourselves as we slept at night. Truth! We then upscaled to an IKEA mattress, which served us so well for twelve years, but then my aged knees began to protest the low-setting mattress sans box spring set-up. And then…and then it was time…

A quality mattress is one of the sweet insomnia cures:

When Tomorrow Sleep offered to send me their holistic sleep system, I was thrilled. Yes, yes please! Aware that many people are consistently not getting enough sleep, this company focuses on teaching consumers how our daily health relies on our sleep. And having the right tools makes all the difference in a good night’s sleep.

Tomorrow Sleep is a smart sleep system with their mattress being the MVP. The system includes pillows, sheets, comforter, drapes and a Sleeptracker that records quality of sleep based on certain metrics. You can buy each of the products separately, but the idea is that a better night’s sleep isn’t just about the mattress but rather, the result of an entire ecosystem. Tomorrow Sleep is backed by Serta Simmons Bedding and their century’s worth of research, development, and insights into sleep. It is not your typical bed-in-a-box company: Tomorrow Sleep is offering a hybrid bed–a real bed–with the highest quality materials.

My favorite Tomorrow Sleep features:

• The mattress is exquistite. Really. We opted for the medium-firm option for our memory foam hybrid mattress as this seemed to be the best fit for my back troubles. What does medium firm mean? It means that the mattress is sturdy enough that my back doesn’t endure undue strain, but is soft enough that I feel embraced and supported as I shift and turn throughout the night. Let me tell you, friends, it was a wild notion to be able to comfortably stretch out my legs with a cushioning sensation. I said to my husband, “I feel like I am sleeping on a hotel bed!” Oh, the indulgence!
• The sheets are cool. I’m not sure how Tomorrow Sleep makes cool sheets, but this makes a world of difference (see point #3 above). I slide into bed and feel the cool comfort surround me. The best part? The coolness continues throughout the night. When I wake up a few hours after dozing off, the sheets still feel freshly cool and comforting. I will never again use any other sheets. Ever.
• The pillows are so supportive. Whichever style you opt for, you can rest assured knowing that your overworked neck and head is in good comfort, mama. Flop down in bed at the end of hard day, and let these pillows do their magic. They conform to you: no plumping needed. They are that good.
• The comforter is perfect. It is neither too hot or too cold. It is not too heavy or too light (I like a bit of weight upon me while I sleep!). It is a dreamy perfect win.

Truth told, I think sleep will likely always be a struggle of sorts for me, but relying upon these insomnia cures have made a world of difference. Thanks to Tomorrow Sleep, I have been able to pursue the last of these insomnia cures, “invest in your bed,” and it has been such a blessing! With the cushoning, supportive mattress, coolly calming sheets, supportive pillows, and a fantastic down comforter, I feel entirely pampered.

Sold yet? Ready to take charge of your own sleep and fix up your bed? Good news–Tomorrow Sleep is offering a special promo code exclusively for my readers! Just use code YEAR100 at checkout when ordering for $100 off any $500 purchase (expires 12/31/17). Sweet!

You cannot function properly in life if you are not sleeping properly. That includes getting the right amount of sleep and the right type of sleep. Constant tossing and turning or waking up every few minutes does not count. Check out a local NYC mattress store for other mattress solutions! Your old one may have lumps or broken springs that cause discomfort and wake you up. It might also be too hard or too soft for your sleep position. If the mattress moves a lot anytime you or your spouse move, you can also disrupt each other’s sleep patterns. Purchasing a new mattress designed for you is the best solution to such problems.

When my sleep has been at its very, very worst, and I ran through all other available insomnia cures, I was at my wit’s end. With no other hope to pursue, there most really remained only one one option–change the bed. Change the bed. While I haven’t eradicated my sleepless nights, Tomorrow Sleep products have made a signifcant dent in my mid-night awake hours, and for this I’m so thankful. Tomorrow Sleep, a hero among insomnia cures for sure!

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Meredith

Meredith blogs at The Mom of the Year, where she dedicatedly earns her title one epic parenting fail at a time, offering quick, relatable laughs for fellow parents and all their empathizers. She has been part of several best-selling anthologies, featured on prominent sites such as Huffington Post, In the Powder Room and BlogHer, and loves her role as the Executive VP/Operations Manager of The BlogU Conference. When she's not breaking up fights over Legos and juice boxes, she remains fully committed to sharing a less serious look at the world of parenting.

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