In adult sleep problems, attitude remains an important reason why many parents have insufficient sleep.

As well as having baby sleep problems, it could also be that your own attitude to sleep requires some attention.

Many adults have such bad sleeping habits themselves that they really have no understanding of how to instil in their own children a calm, regular routine and an appreciative attitude toward healthy sleeping.

We often underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep.

Adequate sleep is crucial in order for you to function both safely and effectively in your daily life and with your children.

This is especially true for parents, who often lose many hours of sleep to attend to their night waking children.

Adequate sleep is important because insufficient or poor quality of sleep can affect your drastically. It is no joke that sleep deprivation is used as a means of torture.

Adult Sleep Problems - Causes of Inadequate Sleep

Here are some causes of inadequate sleep in adults - apart from the fact of being a parent, which is a sure sign that sleep will be found wanting!

Decreased alertness and attentiveness

Decreased performance and productivity

Decreased concentration and judgment

Increased risk of accidents

Increase in relationship difficulties

Poor sense of humour and increased negative thinking

Pessimistic outlook on life

Decreased ability to cope with life events.

Sleep is a necessary requirement for every day safety. It's like trying to run your car on an empty tank.

Adult Sleep Problems -
Some Causes of Inadequate Sleep

There are many reasons for adult sleep problems
Among them are:

Bad habits acquired during teenage years.

Uncomfortable bedrooms that are too hot, noisy, cold, or airless.

Uninviting and uncomfortable bedroom furniture, including the bed.

Eating too much right before bedtime

Too much alcohol or caffeine.

Not appreciating the healing properties of sleep

Some more serious causes include:

Anxiety and worry

emotional problems

relationship difficulties

inability to release your thoughts before sleep

daily life problems

Take this opportunity to look at how you as adults and parents pay attention to sleep for yourselves. Do you regularly choose to ignore your own needs for rest and sleep?

Does your bedroom conjure up images of peace, restfulness and security?

Do you resist spending time there yourself because your bedroom is a war zone or resembles a bomb site?

Do take this opportunity to examine your own sleeping patterns if you are having problems....and remember that babies eventually DO sleep all night!!

Adult Sleep Problems -
Some Changes In Attitude

Put aside some time to mindfully turn your bedroom into a place of peace.

De-clutter, and create a feeling of spaciousness.

Be aware of fresh air and regularly open windows in your bedroom.

Change your bed linen regularly and keep it smelling and welcoming and fresh by sprinkling talcum powder between the sheets.

Remove the television. Too much stimulation in this form is not a good way to settle into sleep.

Seek appropriate help for any issues and life problems you are currently dealing with.

Put aside a week to incorporate a more settled approach to your need for sleep as part of caring for yourself.

Aim to have some regular physical exercise as part of your daily plan. This not only helps you to sleep more readily, it also aids in the release of negative emotions and energy.

Adult Sleep Problems Begin and maintain a clear, firm and consistent bedtime routine for yourself. Plan to slow down in the evenings. Calming, soothing activities such as a bath, gentle music, hot milk, a good book to read and a quiet time to gather your thoughts help your whole self to arrive into a sleeping space. If you have trouble quieting your mind, begin the nightly habit of writing your worries down into a journal to release your thoughts. This can help you to understand them more clearly and often aids in ways of rectifying as well as seeing problems more clearly.

As you begin to feel the difference that a consistent sleeping plan brings, it provides you with a greater understanding for maintaining consistent routines around bedtimes for your children.

Going to bed can be something wonderful to look forward to, both for us as adults and for our children.

If adult sleep problems are really troubling there is help available through specialised sleep disorder clinics and programmes.

Don't hesitate to seek help for yourself. Great sleep is as necessary as food and water to maintain our wonderful bodies.