Bedtime procrastination

[Anonymous]

I’m an exhausted SAHM to a 8 month old. Every night I tell myself I will go to bed early, but I never do. I go on my phone in bed and before I know it it’s 2 or 3 AM. I enjoy this time because I feel like it’s the only time I get for myself, however it’s not sustainable for me anymore— I can barely make it through each day. I don’t know how to just go to sleep. Staying up late feels like an addiction. On the very rare occasion I do try to fall asleep early, I just toss and turn for hours. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Put the electronics away before your kid goes to bed. Listen to an audiobook while you fall asleep. Your body will adjust.

[Anonymous]

Doesn’t your 8 month old nap? Choose that time to scroll on your phone.

[Anonymous]

This is normal, OP. It’s a normal response to not having enough time for yourself AND it’s a normal thing your hormones are doing to you if you’re still breastfeeding.

One thing I like to tell friends having babies is that if you’re lying down with your eyes closed, you’re doing good. It’s easy to get mad at yourself for not falling asleep. If your eyes are closed, count it. That might help you to put your phone down without feeling like you’re “wasting” your precious alone time when you have trouble falling asleep.

[Anonymous]

2-3am is crazy.
Maybe set an alarm for yourself, give yourself a good of scrolling or whatever then when alarm goes off you put phone in charger on other side of the room.

[Anonymous]

Get in bed at a normal bedtime hour, and put on a podcast or audiobook. Set the sleep timer for 20-30 mins and close your eyes and listen. If you have an iPhone, this is located in the "timer" function of the clock app--choose when timer goes off --> "stop playing". If I'm tired, I fall asleep when I do this, easy. If not, it's not "wasted" time--I get to do something I enjoy. Libby is a great app for free audiobooks, and it also has a sleep timer function.

[Anonymous]

I used the parental controls on my phone to turn off social media after a certain time. Sure I can override it, but at least it reminds me to go the f to bed.

And yeah, that’s a rough age. My youngest is now two and I feel like I’m starting to claw back some suggestion of time to myself occasionally (although he’s started starting up later and later which is rough).

[Anonymous]

That is nuts - I understand not having time to yourself but 2 or 3am?!? What time do you wake up?

I have 3 kids. Just got the last one to bed at 9pm. I will stay up and watch tv or read till 10-10:30 at the latest. Then go to bed. I am up at 6:30 every morning.

I have zero me time between 7am-9pm. But I would be dead if I went to bed at 2 or 3am on the reg.