We spend a third of our lives sleeping. It’s the most important cleansing part of our day.  And yet quality sleep often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Here I’m sharing mom’s sleep struggles and how I discovered sleep as the best remedy for many issues. This post is sponsored by RestoreZ. All opinions are my own. Thanks so much for reading!

A little human being is standing by your bedside tugging on a blanket. You make an effort to unseal your eyes. Your body is fighting every move. Just another 10 minutes of sleep… But no, it’s time to get up and start the day. You’re back on mom duty.

Three years ago our family of night owls was blessed with an early riser. She’s lucky she’s cute and we all love her to death, but when she is ready to start the day before the sun rise, you know this mama is not getting her beauty sleep.

If you too wake up feeling tired, you are not alone, mamas. According to the Sleep Foundation, “more women than men experience symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights a week and they are more likely to have daytime sleepiness” (source). There could be many reasons for it. We moms are often needed to tend to children all hours of the night (read about our early toddlerhood struggles here).  Day’s chores and planning next day’s activities leave our heads buzzing. What’s more, women are more prone to hormone fluctuations over a course of a menstrual cycle, which can also affect sleep quality. No wonder that we moms often consider a good night of sleep a luxury.

What’s worse, even if you do get the recommended 8 hours of shut eye – it may not be the good quality restorative sleep that leaves you refreshed and re-energized in the morning.

You’ve probably heard about the circadian rhythm. It’s a roughly 24 hour period that all living beings go through. It programs your body when to be awake and when to be asleep. Well, if there is a disruption in this natural cycle – for example due to staying up late or traveling through time zones – the quality of sleep suffers.

Every mom knows that when you don’t sleep well you may feel more irritable, fatigued and often crave more carbs. Your will power and motivation may be at its lowest. Remember the term “mommy brain”? I think that the lack of quality sleep is a huge part of the reason!

But the consequences of poor sleep go way beyond just not feeling peachy the next day. Long term effects can compound into making you more prone to illness, autoimmune disease and ultimately cognitive dysfunction (source). Dr. Satchin Panda even attributes certain types of cancer, migraine, ISB and anxiety to a disrupted circadian rhythm.

Sleep is the most important cleansing part of the day. It’s when your brain compartmentalizes information from the day before and helps consolidate memory and thought. During restorative sleep inflammatory markers go down, thyroid markers are rebalanced, and proteins causing Alzheimer’s are flushed out of your brain (source).

The more research I dug into about the importance of quality sleep, the more determined I was to get a handle on my own night time routine. There were many mornings when I woke up not feeling my best.  A freshly brewed cup of coffee would usually give me a nice kick in the morning. But come afternoon, I was DRAINED. Ironically, afternoons are the second busiest time of the day after mornings. School pick up, snacks, homework, activities, dinner, play time, bath time, bedtime story. Starting with 3 PM it is a non stop go go. I needed to be at my best and I wasn’t.

In the past, I’ve tried natural sleeping aids like melatonin. But it always left me feeling drowsy the next day. That’s why I am super excited to try RestoreZ, a new natural sleep aid. The company behind RestoreZ uses groundbreaking innovation and technology to create a product that promises to balance circadian rhythms. I was convinced to give it a try when I saw that all the ingredients in RestoreZ formulas are backed with the latest scientific research.

I like that each individual formula is customized with natural ingredients that target your individual needs. If you struggle with falling asleep, Fall Asleep formula is right for you. For those who are able to fall asleep but wake up at night, there’s Stay Asleep and Deep Asleep options. If you need a power nap, there is a formula for that.

Since I’ve been struggling with falling asleep lately, I’m going to start with a 30 day course of RestoreZ Fall Asleep. I am also pretty fascinated by the company’s Power Nap formula. Not that a nap opportunity arises often, but when it does – I’ve never been able to fall asleep on my own during the day! It would be so nice to get a quick nap if your littles kept you up at night!

I will be sharing my progress with you on my Instagram and Facebook, so make sure to follow my accounts. In the meanwhile, if you’re curious to learn more about RestoreZ – check out their website HERE.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and sleep tight 🙂

Katrina