Moms and Dads

Sleeping Enough But Waking Up Tired? This Might Be the Reason.

by Kevyn Gohu
October 4, 2022

Sometimes, we wake up tired not because we lack sleep. It’s because we don’t have quality sleep.

While parents are trying their best to get their kids to sleep, sometimes, it’s us who have the sleeping problem. We wake up and push ourselves to manage the house, work, and look after the kids, only to be cranky and tired. While some of us pass it off as just not being “morning people”, it starts affecting how we function, what we remember, and even the quality of what we do. The most common manifest: the usual mental load just feels a little heavier.

Quality of sleep is a thing?

But when and where did we learn to easily forego sleep? A lot of times, the first time we stopped caring about sleep was during college. Maintaining our GPA and becoming anxious because of our grades then translated into the quality of work, and then eventually, for our kids. A study done in 1997 confirmed that the quality of sleep matters more because even though the people in that experiment slept for 7 to 8 hours, the bad quality of sleep still caused them to wake up late and be less active.

But to improve quality is to make sure that the room we’re sleeping in has the appropriate sleep hygiene.

What is sleep hygiene?

According to the Sleep Foundation Organization, sleep hygiene is “all about putting yourself in the best position to sleep well each and every night.” Good sleep hygiene prevents us from being restless, tossing, turning, kicking our partners out of bed, waking up in the middle of the night, or rolling off the bed ourselves. It also stops us from being cranky in the morning.

How to improve your sleep hygiene

There are so many ways to improve your sleep hygiene for better quality sleep. Here are some that can help:

Be specific about the blanket and sheets you use

It’s nice to have a furry, woolly blanket. But sometimes, it generates a lot of static electricity which can be quite unsettling when sleeping. Some of us might even prefer weighted blankets, bamboo sheets, or more luxurious linen.

Have a nightly routine

Usually, for us moms, it’s skincare. Maybe add a mug of calming tea for an extra dose of detox!

Do a bit of Yoga or light exercising

Surprisingly, exercising a bit before bedtime can help put some people to sleep. Burning the remaining energy can help keep your sleep consistent. Besides, the kids can probably join us for a bit of Yoga if they haven’t touched the grass lately.

But too much exercise can also mean you’ll end up waking up tired if there’s a lot of adrenaline that prevents you from sleeping. So it’s important to find the right balance.

Dim the lights

Keep the lights dimmed because that’s how our bodies trigger the production of a sleep chemical in our bodies known as melatonin. The darker it is, the sleepier we get.

No phone before bed.

While we just love stalking other moms or finding the latest gossip at night, it might be one of the biggest reasons why we end up waking up tired the next day. We’re often lying on our beds as we lurk around Facebook or Instagram and our brains get confused. “Are you sleeping or what?”

Quality over quantity also applies when we sleep!

Quality sleep may need some effort to set up but the effects go down like a treat! Even the kids and your partner will notice that you’re more active, happier, and less ready to kill them for whatever crazy thing they’re trying to do. However, if none of these tips work and you’re still waking up tired, it’s best to go see a doctor so they can zero in on what’s really wrong.