Separation/Divorce & Parenting: Sleep is Key to Success!

Sleep.  Yes, I’m serious.

No matter where you are on your Separation/Divorce path right now, your life will improve with more sleep!  Just try it.

Your parenting will also improve with more sleep.  It’s a win-win.  It’s almost like magic.

On my worst days, which are usually around the end of the week, when I’m completely exhausted from work, and I’m kicking myself for not getting as much done as I had planned at the beginning of the week.  And I also need to dig deep, to somehow find patience for the kids, this insanity is always because I’m low on sleep.

And getting enough sleep is certainly a struggle with a million other priorities, absolutely, unquestionably.

However, I have actually consciously gotten a solid 8 hrs of sleep a night, for say, a week at a time, and my life improves.  And so will yours.  Try it for a week.  Even just commit to a certain number of nights a week, where you’ll make sleep a priority.  I promise you that:

You’ll have more energy.

You’ll have more patience.

You’ll be more present with your kids.

You’ll snack less on junk or drink less coffee – mid-afternoon is worst for me if I’m in a sleep rut!

You’ll be more effective with your time during the day.  Stuff will just get done easier!

You’ll look friggin' younger!!

And because of all of this, your attitude will be a little sunnier as well – bonus side effect :)

When I remember back to the times when I was caring for my newborn girls or my newborn son, and getting no more than 2hr chunks of sleep at a time, I remember just how CRANKY that made me - my moods were all over the place.  I would cry at the slightest challenge in my day, I couldn’t think straight, I couldn’t remember anything other than critical information that was necessary to care for my kids, I certainly didn’t feel sexy or vital.  This is my most dramatic example of what it’s like when your sleep suffers but just spend 5 minutes imagining how much will improve when you make sleep a priority.  Sleep heals.  It will be amazing!

And I’ll be the first to admit, sleep isn’t always a priority for me – there’s a lot going on in this life!  However, I’ve tried enough of these 8 hr sleep nights to be certain of one thing:  that when I realize I’m cranky with everything and life seems to be sending me too many lemons, the first thing I do in response is to send myself to bed early.  Tomorrow is always a new day!

I wish you a good night sleep, you deserve it!

Lisa