Sleep tips for parents

Work, children, household chores, daily responsibilities – family life is demanding and requires a lot of energy. When little ones can't sleep at night or demand everything from their parents during the day, sleepless nights and fatigue are often inevitable. Here you'll find simple tips that can help mothers and fathers improve their sleep patterns and get through the day more alert.

Table of contents

1. Sleep & family life
2. Sleep tips for parents
1. Tips for the afternoon & evening
2. Tips for the night
3. Tips for the morning
3. Conclusion

1. Sleep & Family Life

To care for the children, prepare meals, plan appointments, and organize daily life, parents are the first up and the last in bed at night. When the little ones can't sleep at night or demand everything from you during the day, sleepless nights and fatigue are often inevitable. However, to cope with the hectic daily routine, good, restful sleep is very important, because mom and dad have to take care of their children in addition to themselves and be particularly resilient and productive in family life.

Children can disrupt their parents' nighttime sleep for up to six years, but young parents in particular suffer from sleep deprivation and sleep disorders. This is due, among other things, to children's need for sleep. They need the most sleep in the first few years of life and only learn to adjust their sleep and wake phases to the natural day-night rhythm with increasing age. For this reason, mothers and fathers must repeatedly interrupt their own sleep and forgo important hours of regeneration.

Development of sleep phases

The results of a long-term study by the German Institute for Economic Research also show that mothers sleep an average of one hour less during their child's first three months than before! However, persistent sleep deprivation is extremely harmful and not only leads to bad moods, cravings, or headaches, but also weakens the immune system and impairs our health in the long term.

You can find out more about this in our article How much sleep do we need?.

Although we are of course happy to accept this for our little ones, here are the most important sleep tips for parents to make the most of the remaining hours of sleep and get through the day more alert.

2. Sleep tips for parents

#1 Tips for the afternoon & evening

Use your afternoon nap

First, the good news: You can catch up on lost sleep! After a short night or a strenuous morning, a short power nap at midday will help you make up for your sleep deficit and gather energy for the rest of the day. For example, use the time your child is also napping for a short restorative nap. Learn how to make a power nap effective. here.

Develop a routine

Developing a regular sleep pattern and maintaining an evening routine will help the whole family relax and fall asleep more easily. Set bedtimes and evening rituals, such as brushing teeth together or reading aloud, help you set the mood for the night and help you get the sleep you deserve after a busy day.

Relaxation before sleep

Excitement disrupts the process of falling asleep in the evening. Therefore, make sure to reduce exciting or strenuous activities for the family some time before bedtime so that you and your children Relax slowly. You can also dim the lights to encourage melatonin production in your body and promote sleepiness.

#2 Tips for the night

Maintain darkness

Bright light inhibits the release of sleep hormone melatonin, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle and makes us tired. Therefore, it's best to avoid bright lighting and stimulating activities when you get up at night to check on your child, so your body doesn't slip into a wakeful state and you don't have trouble falling asleep afterwards.

Avoid distractions

Additional and mostly avoidable external stimuli can also cause the body to switch to the waking state. In particular, the view of the SmartThe phone or the clock usually triggers the famous carousel of thoughts that keeps us awake and makes it difficult to fall asleep again. So try to focus on the important tasks and not put additional pressure on yourself by calculating how much time we have left to sleep.

keep Calm

If you still can't fall back asleep right away, it's important to stay calm. Stress activates the nervous system and promotes the production of the stress hormone cortisol. This further hinders the process of falling asleep and makes you more alert than sleepy. Some breathing exercises or relaxation techniques can specifically help you calm down and become tired again. Check out here over.

#3 Tips for the morning

Get up immediately, don't snooze

In any case, try to get up with the first alarm. In the morning, our body wakes us up naturally by reducing melatonin production and releasing more cortisol. However, hitting the snooze button usually causes your body to fall back into deep sleep, and your sleep is unnaturally interrupted again with each ringing of the alarm. This has a negative impact on your daily performance and not only makes you tired and sluggish, but also reduces your concentration and performance. Even if it's difficult at first, it's better to skip the snooze button and get up straight away. Daylight, fresh air, and gentle exercise also wake you up and help you get off to a strong start to the day.

Consider sleep needs

For growth and development, children need significantly more sleep than adults. Whether we are early risers or night owls isn't really a matter of upbringing; it's innate. Experts believe that a child's sleep type becomes apparent between the ages of 8 months and 3 years. Therefore, remember to pay attention to your own sleep needs as well as your child's individual needs, and avoid waking your child unless absolutely necessary. This way, both parents and their children can get the sleep they need and get through the day well.

Start the day healthy

Especially after a demanding night and lack of regeneration, the body needs a lot of nutrients and energy to function properly.A balanced breakfast is the perfect foundation for a successful start to the day for parents and children. Ideally, it consists of plenty of healthy vitamins, fortifying protein sources, as well as healthy fats and carbohydrates. This provides you with all the important nutrients and allows you to hit the ground running after the first meal of the day. Remember to also drink plenty of fluids and drink at least 1.5–2 liters of water daily.

What mom and dad do every day in family life is often underestimated. The lack of sleep in a child's early years is not only stressful, but also poses a challenge to their body and their own health. This makes it all the more important that parents also take time for their own sleep needs and the important (nighttime) regeneration. Ultimately, everyday family life only works if mom and dad wake up rested in the morning and start each new day with plenty of energy.

3. Conclusion

• Young parents are particularly often affected by sleep deprivation and sleep disorders.

• Lack of sleep has numerous negative consequences on well-being and health, leading to fatigue, lethargy, or poor concentration and performance.

• A power nap at midday provides energy, and set bedtimes or evening routines as well as targeted relaxation before sleep prepare parents and child for a restful night.

• Bright light, unnecessary distractions and stress make it difficult to fall asleep after periods of wakefulness during the night and should be avoided.

• Consider different sleep needs. It's best not to snooze in the morning, but to get up right away and start the day healthy with a balanced breakfast.