Back in December I took part in the Lenor Fresh Sheet Week Challenge, which involved keeping a sleep diary and washing my bedding in the new Lenor fabric softener which promised to keep my sheets smelling fresh all week.
Now nothing pleases me more than freshly washed bed linen, especially when it has been dried outside on the washing line, so I was eager to try it.
I have to say I was disappointed – the fresh bedding smell lasted a night as per normal, maybe I was expecting too much.
I sent my sleep diary to be analysed by a sleep expert – it wasn’t a particularly settled week as two of the children had been poorly, however, I sent it back and awaited the results which came in today.
Here they are:
‘Exhausted mum with poorly children who dreams of an unbroken night’s sleep’
It is a fact of life that children do get ill and as a result have a disturbed night. We do have to be realistic here and be ok about having 2-3 shorter sleeps as opposed to an unbroken night.
So how can ChelseaMamma look after her children as well as look after herself.
Tips
ChelseaMamma needs to:
- Stop her children from having any naps late into the afternoon
- Try make sure that they are tired before they go to bed
- Set up a structured bedtime routine for the children which would include a wind down period, bath, bedtime snack, bedtime story and a kiss goodnight
- Get to bed early herself so that her bedtime is closer in sink to her children’s bedtime whilst they are ill
- Set up a caffeine cut off time for herself
- Keep her bedroom cool and uncluttered
- Ask her husband to cover one half of the night so that she can totally switch off and relax
- Set up her own ‘me-time’ bedtime routine which may include a warm relaxing bath with lavender, some calming music and a sleepy snacks
- Not watch scary movies at night-ideally listen to an audio book or if it has to be TV watch a romantic comedy.
- Freshen room with lavender/camomille or wash her bed clothes using Lenor
- Consider buying a new bed for herself or for now buy a luxurious mattress topper to give your bed a more sumptuous feel.
Whilst I agree that many of the tips are common sense, I am afraid that some are just not going to happen and here is my response:
- My children don’t have naps late in the afternoon unless they happen to be travelling in a car, then even if music is blaring and all the windows are wound down there is nothing I can physically do to keep them awake
- I try everything to make sure my children are tired before they go to bed, but sometimes they just don’t want to!
- My children have a structured bedtime process as above, it just doesn’t always work
- Go to bed early myself – great in theory, but my husband works until 8pm and therefore doesn’t get in until 8.30pm so dinner is cooked for then. There is no way I can go to bed on a full stomach, plus I would actually like to see him for a couple of hours
- I rarely drink tea or coffee after lunch and always drink water with dinner
- The bedroom is cool, but uncluttered – erm, rarely – I just don’t have time!
- Love the next one – get hubby to cover half the night!!! That is never, ever, ever going to happen – a) he has work the next day, b) will sleep through anything c) I would never hear the end of it!
- Me-Time – what’s that? A bath once the kids are in bed is a no-no as it would wake them up!
- The reference to scary movies was the fact that I like to watch Walking Dead, True Blood etc. When else am I supposed to watch it – when the kids are up?
- I might try a Lavender air freshener but normally find them too overpowering
- New bed – I am working on it – we have new windows to be paid for first!!
So, what do you think of the tips – am I being harsh and should I take them more seriously?