If you're a new mom, we're betting you're reading this while running on zero sleep. Being a mom makes you an insomniac who can't sleep at night thinking about your baby or the things you're going to do for tomorrow. It's hard to deal with insomnia when you're trying to be the best mom in the world so we're here to guide you.
Insomnia occurs when an emotionally stressful occasion disturbs sleep. According to the Office on Women's Health, more women suffer from insomnia than men. Hormonal changes, depression and anxiety are more commonly experienced by women that affect their sleeping behavior.
Parents worry about their newborn baby at nighttime and would usually do things to stay awake. This becomes a habit that eventually develops into insomnia.
No To Medication First
Dr. Charles Samuels. medical director of Calgary's Center for Sleep and Human Performance, tells Today's Parent that medication should not be your first option to cure your insomnia. Over-the-counter pills are available but curing insomnia should start with meditative exercises.
One proven meditative exercise to help cure insomnia is mindfulness meditation, as per Harvard Health Blog. Basically, all you have to do is sit steadily or stand in an upright position while focusing on your breathing. You can make sounds as you inhale and exhale.
Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine Director Emeritus, Dr. Herbert Benson suggests doing this at least 20 minutes during the day to elicit the relaxation response and cure insomnia. If your troubling thoughts come back during mindfulness meditation, just let them enter and exit freely.
According to Mayo Clinic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT-I is an effective solution to insomnia. Some CBT-I approaches include not lying in bed while awake, keeping away from television and other gadgets before sleeping, not smoking and drinking alcohol and reducing caffeine intake.
Consult Your Doctor
If you still have insomnia after meditation, the next solution is to consult your doctor. Benzodiazepines are drugs commonly prescribed for patients with insomnia or anxiety.
As per Today's Parent, the drugs are safe to take without affecting your baby's health. It cited a Motherisk study that found out using benzodiazepines during breastfeeding will not cause central nervous depression in your infant.
Are you a new mom experiencing insomnia? If yes, what are the things you do to cure it? Join the discussion below by sharing your experiences and habits!
