Rested Mamas are Happy Mamas: Sleep After Vacation

Rested Mamas are Happy Mamas: Sleep After Vacation

Vacation. It comes with so many pros and cons, am I right? You get to go somewhere fun, get away from all of your daily to-dos, and hopefully relax... a little bit. But if you're somewhere like Disneyland, you may not be relaxing, but instead running around like crazy. But hey, at least you're having fun!

On vacation, you may not be getting much sleep. And your kids...they're probably not getting enough. How many times have you been on vacation and you just go, go, go, and your kids come along for the ride?! They don't seem to mind until they starting going a little bit crazy. You may wonder why, but it's probably because they aren't getting enough sleep, or they aren't in a familiar place, or you're stretching them too thin, etc. If the problem is sleep, you'd think that they just need some more of it. And you'd be right. But how are they supposed to get that on your fun-filled vacation? Realistically, it just might not happen.

So how do you fix it once you finally get home?

Do Nothing

Yep, you heard right. If time allows, plan one day to do absolutely nothing. And I do mean nothing. Let your kids adjust back to being home. Give them a day to chill out, take the naps they need, and just play with you. Basically, let them do whatever they want, within reason, so they can feel settled a bit. Don't do the laundry, or the dishes. Maybe even extend your vacation budget for one day and order some food in. Use paper plates and plastic utensils and make clean-up an easy one. Let the kids be kids! And honestly, you probably need this just as much as they do.

Take Early Naps

If your kids have a regular nap time, feed them lunch a little bit early, and try putting them to bed just a little bit early as well. Even if they don't actually go to sleep during that time, they will have a little extra down time that their little bodies probably need right now. Just a minute to unwind. You could even sit and read to them during this time. But basically, give them a little more time than usual to relax.

Take it Easy on Them

Even though you think they just had the time of their lives, sometimes being at home is all a kid wants. So if your kid is acting more bratty than usual, take it easy on them. They are just trying to adjust. And they probably need to catch up on all the sleep they missed which usually can't happen in just one day.

Remember to Focus on You Too

Don't forget, you still need a break too. If your kids are sleeping, try and get some rest yourself. While you're taking care of them, take care of you. Chances are you only have a little bit of time to all re-coupe from the fun you had, so use it wisely.

Enjoy your vacations mamas! And enjoy watching your littles enjoy all the magic of all the new places they will see! And once you've recovered from one vacation, plan the next!


*Sleep is essential. We need sleep to function, to take care of our children, to keep up on every single task life throws at us, to keep our sanity. Are you getting your eight hours or do you have a baby who is keeping you up? Let’s remedy that! In the “Rested Mamas are Happy Mamas” series of our blog, sleep expert Jackie answers all of your sleep woes. Have a question or problem that needs fixing? Comment on the series, and a blog will be published just for you!*
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