How to Get More Sleep as a Working Mom

Think about all the routines you have. There are more than you think.

Now, which one is your favorite? Which one, more than the others, keeps you sane or makes the busy seasons more manageable?

My favorite isn't fancy or even impressive...

It's getting myself ready for bed as early as possible.

As soon as I say goodnight to the kids and leave that last bedroom, I walk straight to my bathroom where I wash my face, brush my teeth, and put on my pajamas.

Sometimes that means I'm ready for bed by 8 PM! But I'm not necessarily going to sleep right away.

Sometimes I go downstairs to watch a show with my husband, sometimes I work on a project, or most times I just read a book.

But I've learned that if I sit down before I get ready for bed, I'm toast!!!

Once I sit down I don't want to get back up, especially not for brushing my teeth and washing my face. (an object in motion stays in motion)

So while I'm still standing, I move right into a nice, short bedtime routine so that whenever I do decide to go to sleep, I can just go to sleep.

What I've found is that once I'm in pajamas I actually just want to curl up in bed and read. Which means I fall asleep earlier, get up easier to workout in the morning, AND I actually get good sleep.

Plus! My teeth are clean, my makeup is off, and my face feels fresh.

It's not a flashy routine. In fact, on paper it sounds pretty boring (pajamas at 8 PM, am I right?). But it has such a huge impact on the rest of my day that I don't know how I functioned any other way.

That's the thing about the right routines. They have a big impact because you're not just putting a band-aid on a particular problem, you're getting at the root.

And once established, they can grow. They can expand and change or be added to other parts of your day.

More of the right routines means less thinking and fewer decisions to make.

So not only are you doing the things you want/need to do (like brushing your teeth and getting adequate sleep), but you also have the mental space for more.

For spontaneity, for one-off experiences and projects, and for being present.

Here's to simple bedtime routines, getting enough sleep, and putting the right things on auto-pilot.