Inside: Craving more + better sleep? Here are some tips for creating a calming mom night time routine so you can get to bed sooner + wake up earlier.

My toddler is half-naked, running around the house - trails of sticky crumbs and toy animals betray his movements. The pile of dishes bursting out of the sink is ignored as puzzle pieces are picked up. For the 5th time in as many minutes, my 4 year-old is told to get upstairs and get ready for his bath. My toddler is now crying in the background. He's tired, but he only knows how to show it through his tears.

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The kids are finally down, but the house is a mess...

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The house is clean, but I smell like onions and spit-up, so into the shower I go...

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Dang it, I forgot to write the thank you note...

Shoot, that bill needs to be paid...

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I fall onto the couch and turn on the T.V. Just for a few minutes…

Opps. It's 11 PM - much later than I planned to get into bed. But as I turned the T.V. off and fall into the sheets, rest doesn't come, And for the better part of an hour I lay there until I finally fall into a not-so-deep sleep…

And then it starts all over again.

Why you need a mom night time routine:

We train our little ones to sleep when they are babies, we make sure they get naps as toddlers, and we implement a “rest-time” for our preschoolers. While our kids are on a schedule, we neglect building positive rhythms for ourselves.

As we grow older, do our bodies also grow out of needing routine? 

I'm going to let you in on a not-so-little secret: we all thrive under the benefits of routine. Some more than others - I'll give that to you. But we all need a little structure in our lives. 

And sleep is one of those things that comes most easily when our bodies know what's coming and can prepare for that rest. 

Here are 3 reasons a mom night time routine will help you get more sleep:

1. A Night time Routine Will Help You Go To Sleep On-Time

With a set night time routine, you won't get distracted doing something that's not important. 

When you have a rhythm in place, you know what is coming next and what needs to get done. When you know what needs to get done at night, you won't get distracted with the little tasks that really can be done at some other time.

Plus, when you have a set routine, you won't be as tempted to say "yes" to the easier things (like crashing in front of Netflix for hours, enjoying half a pan of brownies, or re-organizing your bookshelf for the 6th time that week...).

When you've already made a plan for your evening, and you can more easily stick to it.

2. A Calming Mom Night Time Routine Will Help You Go To Sleep Faster

You know that screeching sound the car makes when you slam the breaks? That's your vehicle saying "well hold on! I need a little more notice than that!"

Likewise, you know those nights you close your eyes, then proceed to lie awake for what feels like hours? That's your body telling you it's needs more notice than that.

Implementing a good mom night time rhythm builds in time and space for you to quiet your mind, and prepare your body for the sleep it needs. A routine set of actions before you go to sleep acts like a signal letting your mind know rest is on the way - so it's time to start chillin' out! 

Your body will fight abrupt changes. So help it out by gradually working your way to sleep - with a bedtime routine. 

3. A Mom's Night Time Routine Will Make It Easier to Wake Up Early

And here at Mama's Morning we are all about getting up early 🙂 Here is how a nighttime routine helps you get up early:

• We have gotten better, more quality sleep.
• Going to sleep at the same time every night will help your body to wake up at the same time every morning (your body will get into a good rhythm).
• Building one habit makes it easier to build another one.

How To Build Your Own Calming Mom Night Time Routine

Here are 7 tips for creating a relaxing bedtime routine for you, mama!

1.Write it down

Because writing down a goal really does help you achieve it. So grab a pen and piece of paper, and jot down what you want your ideal nighttime routine to look like. Be specific, and don't let your current reality keep yourself dreaming about what your bedtime could look like!

2. Get away from screens 

For two main reasons:

1.  The light from our phones and other screens can slow down and reduce our body's production of melatonin. 
2. Scrolling through our phones and vegging out in front of a show - while physical relaxing - is bombarding your brain with so much stimulation, your mind cannot get the rest it needs!

3. Include a calming activity as the last thing in your routine before the lights go out.

 Here are 11 screen-free alternatives for your bedtime ritual. 

4. Set an night time alarm to help you wind down. 

It could be half an hour before you want to be in bed, or 15 minutes. But set some kind of reminder that will let you know that bedtime is coming up and it is time to wind down. Hint: your iphone will do that for you.

5. Clean up the house before the kids go to bed.

That way, once they are down for the night, you can actually enjoy your own bedtime ritual.  Depending on your routine (and how helpful your husband is!) this might be a tall order. Here are some tips to help you accomplish a tidy house before the kids are in bed:

•  get your kids to help you with the dishes and tidying up after dinner (even my 2 year old helps me wash the dishes sometimes!)
• ask your husband to watch the kids for 30 minutes while you finish up the kitchen
• set your kids up with an activity (or video if you really need too!)
• while you tidy up, send the kiddos outside up to dispel some energy before bed
• clean the dishes while you cook to minimize the after dinner mess
• serve meals already dipped onto plates so that you don't have to transfer the food to serving platters (less dishes please!)

6. Start a bedtime brain dump 

Have you ever jumped into bed exhausted, only to lie awake for hours thinking or worrying about something? Put a notebook by your bed and jot own everything that’s on your mind. Sometimes, to quiet the mind chatter, we need to get everything out of our heads and onto paper.

7. Plan and prepare for your morning routine 

Again, write down what you want your morning routine to look like! Taking a minute to do this before bed will remind you why you want to get to bed earlier, and will help you prep your mind for the next day. 

Prepare for your morning routine by laying out clothes, getting your Bible set out and ready, or pulling your favorite mug out of the cabinet so it's waiting on you when you crawl out of bed the next morning. Use your evening to make your morning routine a little easier to wake up to.

A Mom's Night Time Routine: An Example

Routines do not have to be complicated.

Below is an example of how my nighttime routine looks right now. There are some seasons in life where this looks a little different, and that is OK.

We have two little kids, and we intentionally leave our nights open so evenings are spent together as a family. This may not be where you are at. Your nights might be filled with baseball games, Bible studies, dinners with friends, ballet practices, etc.

If that's the case, your routine will not look like mine. You can, however, still implement good nighttime rhythms that serve the same purpose. You have to figure out what works for you and your family. Rhythms and routines can be fluid and can change if a different season of your life begs for it too. 

So with that said, here is mine evening/bedtime routine:

5:00-5:30

Dinner

5:30-6:00

Clean up kitchen/house while husband plays with kids

6-6:30 

Kid's getting bathed/ready for bed

6:30-7:00 

Reading with the boys/saying goodnight!

7:00-7:30

Workout or write

7:30-8:00

Shower/skincare routine

8:00

In bed reading/talking with my husband (on the weekends, or when one of us has had a particularly long day, we watch a show together)

9:30 

Asleep (if not asleep sooner)

Now It's Your Turn!

Go ahead and start thinking about what you want your nighttime routine to look like, and what needs to happen to get that done. Again remember, a good nighttime routine will:

• Help you to actually go to bed on time
• Allow you to fall asleep faster (and stop tossing and turning in bed)
• Make it easier to wake up early!

You got it mama. It's going to take time to get use to a routine and to build rhythms into your evenings and night that fit you and your family. But, as I have said before, good habits take work. But you will reap the benefits in the end. 

I'm rooting for you!