I got zero shut-eye last night.  I mean nada.  As in no zzzz’s for me.  And I’m having a tough time isolating exactly what the problem was.  I went for a run yesterday, so my body was physically tired.  There were no 3:00 a.m. wake-up calls from the peanut gallery for water, tummy aches and assorted nightmares.  And though, as a mom of three, my anxiety level tends to run on the high side, there’s no specific worry at present to keep me wide-eyed into the wee hours of the morning (knock on wood!).  I even had a glass of vino with my dinner last night – usually a surefire way to render me senseless by 9:00 p.m.

So of course I fired up the google machine to try to identify the culprit behind my insomnia, and though I’m not confident I’ve isolated the offender, I am going to go ahead and blame the Chinese food.  In addition to eating a well-balanced, healthy dinner, here are some other tips I gathered to help promote a good night’s sleep.

• Make it a priority to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
• Keep a regular sleep schedule – even on weekends!
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and at a comfy temperature.
• Engage in relaxing activities before bed, such as reading or listening to music.
• Eat nutritious fare and avoid big meals right before bed. (Translation: no Kung Pao chicken!)
• Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed.  (The article says avoid nicotine too, but you should do this anyway!)

What the articles do not say, but I am high maintenance enough to recommend, is to sleep in an aesthetically pleasant environment.  A beautiful duvet, pretty shams, sheets of a nice thread count and perfect weight pillows can go a long way towards sweet dreams, in my opinion.  So if you’re still sleeping on those sheets you received at your bridal shower, now is the time for a bedroom makeover!

And if all else fails, go ahead and invest in some instant coffee.  We all know you need at least one eye open to toast the waffles, pack the lunches and drive the carpool.  And there’s no judgment here.  If you’re executing in your pajamas, you still have my undying mommy respect.