Working Moms. Hmmmm. I’ve recently gone back to work in an office after working from home for the last year, and it’s quite a change. Granted, my kids are no longer young. But there is a lot of activities to keep up with and I think they kind of got used to me being around. However, when I call to check in late in the day, they sound pretty happy and our mornings are actually much more sane and civilized than they’ve been in a long time. My kids are more punctual than ever before and are giving us enough time to walk to school, now that I have to walk directly to the train station. In the past, they complained about the walk. No more. To be honest, a lot of things are easier for me now that I’m back at work. But perhaps that’s another post…..
Nonetheless, I’m waking up early to go to work and I can’t seem to get to sleep at the end of the day. Yes, it’s 12:53 a.m. as I write this post. Why is that? Because I have so many other things to do! I have deadlines for columns that I write, books to read, client work, kids school forms to complete, The Daily Show to catch up on….
I know that I need to change my ways and get to bed earlier. A recent report by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recently released gathered that only 60% of American women get a good night’s sleep and 67% experience a sleep problem. It also says that women’s lack of sleep affects virtually every aspect of their time-pressed lives, leaving them late for work and stressed out. So what are we supposed to do? In 6 hours I have to wake up and make breakfast and lunch for my kids and in 5 hours I have to wake up to get some work done before I go to work. Did I just mention work 2x in one sentence? That’s sad! I’d love tips for time management. How do you keep a nice sense of balance and make sure that you get a good night’s sleep? Lay them on me! Meanwhile, I’ll make my way to my bed…..
Follow
Can’t agree with you on this one Holly. But that’s because I feel the results of poor sleep physically. I am prone to migraines which have increased in frequency in recent years. I went to a top neurologist in Israel and you know the #1 thing he prescribed? Regular, plentiful, uninterrupted sleep. This is the best thing for migraine sufferers. The only way you will get enough sleep is to “guard your sleep” as this doctor told me. But the onus is on you. I give myself a screen time limit before bed. Screens are off by 10. After 10, I can be with a book. Real ones. Printed on paper. Makes me sleepy in no time. Guard your sleep!
I so hear you! Here’s what I do. I found a restorative yoga class in the evening. It’s a little more than an hour. It’s mainly relaxation poses done with absolutely no stress on the body. You do it with soft bolsters and blankets etc. I swear to you I am so relaxed I fall asleep at least once or twice – only to be woken up to switch poses. Whatever sleep I DON’T get cuz I’m working crazy hours like you…I feel I make up for it in this class. Try it!!
Doc G just prescribed an orgasm! LOL. I have the same issue and I am home alone for the last 8 weeks w/4 kids and all the school driving, back to school meetings, grocery shopping, laundry etc… Oy. My schedule is so fractured that I am constantly making lists and trying to get things done till 2 am when I shower and I-can’t-believe-I’m-admitting-this – put on my clothes for the next day so I can get up at 6am and make lunches and get everyone out the door by 7. It’s a brutal schedule and a symptom of the pressure on women to do it all. Sometimes it’s a pressure we put on ourselves, and sometimes, as in my present case, there are really no alternatives. I keep thinking “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” and then thinking… man I hope that later and not sooner!
My biggest tip is to let myself catch up on the weekend days when I don’t work. Catching up is not foolproof but it helps! Another is a guaranteed relaxation method right before bed. Good book? Chat with a friend? Orgasm? Whatever works for you!
I was thinking the same exact thing last night when I was working at 10:30pm. I was sending and receiving emails from other moms who work at night. I am making more of an effort to be more present for my daughter when she is home, so no computer time until she goes to bed. I now have to be more efficient with my time. No more leisurely breakfasts. If I take a break from working, I usually do something that needs to be done around the house. My husband and I divide and conquer in the mornings. He takes breakfast and makes lunch and i get her ready. He has been doing more bed times, so I can get back to work. It is definitely tiring though, but I hope I get into a groove soon.
First off all, no screen time at 12:53am! Looking at the screen makes it harder to fall asleep. Second, the Daily Show can wait. God invented DVR’s for a reason. Third, stop feeling like you need to do it all or in fact, eliminate some things from your day so you can make more time for you. What about asking your husband to chip in with lunch making? Or ask the kids to help make their own lunches the day before. It will seem more fun to them and give them responsibility.
No screen time? Can’t do that…..