Last Updated on September 20, 2023 by
Sleep-Deprived Parents .. I’ve got you
Another bad night’s sleep? You’re not alone!
Whether you have a newborn, toddler or young child that has you up during the night, you know all too well what it is like to feel sleep deprived.
Being a parent is one of the greatest joys we experience, but modern-day parenting can be incredibly hard. We are busier than ever, constantly multitasking – family, maintaining the home, work, finances, meals, technology, friends, exercise, kids’ activities, let alone self-care. We try to do everything!!
All these external factors place our bodies into a stress response, causing feelings of overwhelm, mental and emotional exhaustion and scattered thoughts which all contribute to difficulty sleeping on their own let alone having to be physically up during the night for your children.
Not getting sufficient sleep has been scientifically proven to be detrimental to our health with the NIH linking many chronic health problems to sleep deficiency.
Meditation is known to help improve sleep, reduce stress and benefit your overall health. As a meditation teacher for over 10 years and personally meditating for 20 years I am going to share with you the most effective meditation to have you feeling less overwhelmed and better rested.
I am a single mum with a toddler, which means I understand what doing it all looks like on minimal sleep. Honestly, I don’t know how I would have coped if I didn’t have my daily meditation practice to rejuvenate me during the day and have me sleep better at night.
A 10-20-minute meditation feels like your body gains a few hours of sleep. I feel calmer, better rested and more present with my little one. I truly believe my child picks up on my more-relaxed and grounded energy.
There are many different meditation techniques to help you fall asleep. Yoga nidra, which is the most well known, helps guide you through relaxing parts of your body, slowing your breath and helping you drift off into sleep. Now this is amazing to do to go to sleep, but as a parent to little ones you are still up numerous times a night resulting in minimal sleep.
So, the secret is to have a meditation technique you do in the day, designed to give your body deep rest and have you feeling more refreshed and present.
I am Vedic Meditation Teacher and have found Vedic Meditation (VM) also known as Transcendental Meditation (TM), which is a mantra based technique to be the most effective and easiest technique to induce a state of deep relaxation that relieves stress and fatigue from the body.
The VM technique can be done anywhere you can sit comfortably, there are no uncomfortable yogic seated postures here!
VM is traditionally taught in person with a trained & qualified teacher as you receive your personalised mantra and instructions of the technique, but I am going to provide some basics for anyone who would like to try the meditation.
- Sit comfortably in a chair, lounge, up in bed, or even in your parked car. Back supported, hands in your lap and legs in any comfortable position. Make sure your head is not resting back on anything, this is key to this technique.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax the body.
- Start to repeat a mantra in your mind. This is typically a Sanskrit sound learned from your teacher in person. But for this practice use the word ‘Ahh-Humm’. This sound is repeated softly in the back of your mind and works to help settle the body and mind and take you into a deeper settled state. The key is to not force or control anything, just letting the sound be there in the background of your awareness. It will come and go during the meditation, this is natural and part of the process.
- When you recognise you are lost in a thought process, simply return to the mantra.
- After 10-20 minutes take a few deep breaths, move your fingers and toes and ease yourself back to the world. (take about a min or two to come out of the meditation).
- Open your eyes.
- Sit for a few minutes until you feel ready to continue with your day.
You will feel calmer, less tired and refreshed.
Parents, you may be thinking, who has time for a 20-minute meditation? But in my direct experience and for the hundreds of mothers I have taught it is possible and the ROI is totally worth making it happen.
Think; meditating while nursing, when you are nap-trapped, in the parked car if bub has fallen asleep, with your little one playing next to you, and for the older kids maybe even 10 minutes of watching something on the TV so you can get in a quick mediation.
I believe meditation is the best gift you can give yourself and your children!
My recommendation is;
- Listen to a guided sleep Meditation to put you to sleep.
- Do a Mantra meditation once or twice a day anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, to reduce fatigue, and overwhelm and feel more calm and present.
If you would like a free guided sleep meditation or to find out more about my Meditating Mothers Course go to Soelae.com
