My sleep trial, did I get a better night’s sleep?

Last year, sleep specialists Silent Night surveyed parents about sleep.

Please don’t spit out your drink. I know any parents reading this will laugh wildly.

Nothing prepares you for the lack of sleep. Nothing.

Although Boo maybe almost four but we still go through peaks and troughs of sleeping through and then waking up two or three times a night.

With number two on the way, I have resigned myself to sleeplessness.

I am not alone. The survey revealed that only 25 per cent of all parents are getting a good night’s sleep.

Together with the guys form the Silentnight Midlands office, I was invited to dig a little deeper and find out if various sleep accessories can help you sleep better. Do they stand up to the claims that their manufactures make? Can they make you relax before bedtime? Do you feel more refreshed in the morning after using them?

I was intrigued. What on earth could they send me? I imagined they wouldn’t be so mean to send brandy to a pregnant woman and thankfully, on this occasion, I was right.

For me though, the package was just as exciting.

I got ear plugs, an eye mask and some relaxing bath and shower gel.

I’ve been wearing something over my eyes for years now. I say something. It started off as an eye mask but years of washing and use makes it look like a bit of tatty old rag. When it has been in the wash, I have even been known to use a (clean) sock to block any light from my eyes.

The new eye mask is like heaven. It is tempur memory foam and seriously, I don’t know how I ever slept before.

Taking a selfie with your eyes covered was slightly more difficult than I anticipated.

I plan for it to be top of my list in my hospital bag yay.

Ear plugs are controversial. Would I sleep through Boo crying?

The results?

No.

They block out background noise like Hubster’s snoring, sheep bleating, tractors whirring. I could still hear Boo but they really helped me getting to sleep.

Another thing on the hospital bag list-especially if you have to spend the night on the ward with crying babies before yours has made an appearance.

Lastly, the shower gel. It smelled lovely. The only problem I had with this is my ‘no-tap rule’ after bedtime. For that reason, I used it a couple of times in the shower but mostly, I just washed my hands before bedtime.

I am not sure if it was one of the components of the sleep challenge or all of them together but I honestly felt more rested.

Usually I get up as soon as I wake up but during the week trial, I didn’t want to get up at all and struggled when my alarm went into off for work.

I even nudged Hubster a couple of times or ‘played sleeping’ so he would have to get up to Boo.

Do you know what else I found out? She settles off to sleep better for daddy. Result.

We all have busy lives but I do recommend switching off before bedtime. Social media, texts and emails can wait until the morning.

I will definitely be using my sleep pack again.

 

 

*I was sent my sleep pack for the purpose of this trial but all opinions are my own.