Mom, You Need to Get Your Nap On!

Parents across the country, around the world, hail the Almighty Nap. There are few things more exhausting than being on-call 24-7. Now that I am "out of the fog" of my early mom years, I can look back and see that naps were the miracle that saved my life, truly my savior, and my children's saving grace.

I am not talking about how to get a baby to nap. No, I mean you, mom. You need a nap, lady. But wait you say, "How do I pull off a nap? Experts are already telling me to somehow squeeze exercise into my never-ending day, and my family expects certain things to be done, like laundry and regular meals." I understand.

Honestly, I do. I am an expert at sleep-deprivation and one thing is for sure, sleep-deprived people are not efficient. Whether or not you work from home like I do, or go into an office. It doesn't matter if your baby is on a perfect schedule, or if they catnap throughout the day and night. You can squeeze in a nap. The world will not collapse. A nap has a way of suspending time and space, when you awake, you will be able to do twice as much as you could before in your sleep-deprived state.

While many baby articles suggest you take your child for a walk in the stroller to help them fall asleep, there were days I was so tired that even walking down the sidewalk was beyond my abilities. Don't even mention driving a vehicle around the block to put baby to sleep. Danger, danger. Who knows which one of us would fall asleep first!

Instead try one of the following ideas for getting your nap on;

Music time
Designate music time. Set up a nap area for both you and your children. My room always worked best. I turn the phone on mute, and put the baby in a portable crib. Dim the lights and turn on soft music. Even when your child is older, designated music time is a good way to sidestep the n-word.

Secure the perimeter
Put a child lock on the door, which is basically a door knob cover to keep your child safely in the room. I don't demand sleep, for my children, or myself, that would be too much pressure. Instead it is simply important to be quiet.

Story tapes
Story tapes also worked well. After I made sure the kids were safe, I could shut my eyes and rest. Boring mom often put the kids to sleep. I liked cassette tapes or CD's rather than the radio. Once the side was done, it was time to get up.

Story time
Even 2-year-olds can flip through books for a while. Save a stack of special books for rest time. After reading a story, you can catch a quick nap while your child finishes flipping through the flap books or foam puzzle books.

Pass the baton
If you can slip away for a half hour while dad watches the baby, a friend or neighbor then do it. Do not, I repeat, do not feel guilty about sleeping. Ever. Being a mom takes a tremendous toll on your body and mind. Sleep is restorative and will make you a better spouse, neighbor and friend as well as a better mom.

More by Sylvie Branch:
Ten things you need before bring baby home
Raise a reader: Instilling a love of books in your baby
Corral the curious: Setting boundaries for tiny explorers