Please help me improve my sleep

[ontana]

Since going back to work after Christmas my sleep has been awful.

One issue is we have kittens and they come in our room at about 4.30 am and climb on my head. I want to keep the door shut or keep them downstairs but DH says they will scratch at the doors and he wants to leave the door open to the landing to listen out for dcs.

Also, I often need the loo during the night, at least once, but if anything wakes me I find I also need to go then.

Then I can't get back to sleep. Sometimes I check my phone (I know)

The other morning dc2 came through at 4 as well.

So if I have been up a couple of times, and it's taken me ages to get to back to sleep, I then can't get up when alarm goes off at 6. I stay in bed until half 6 and then really need to be out the door by 7.15 at the latest, so I'm rushing and generally annoyed. I can also never decide what to wear.

So I need a PLAN and need help seeing if there is anything missing:

Lay out clothes (including tights- it always seems to the tights that scupper me!) the night before
Leave phone out of bedroom
Think of something re cats??
Stop my evening cup of decaf tea- will this mean I am less likely to need the loo or will I still need it anyway?
I already go to bed early- like before 10.

Any help appreciated!

can you lock the kittens in somewhere else overnight?

Yes we did this at first so could go back to that. Dh is concerned that they will scratch at the door and damage it.

No alcohol, bath before bed, cool bedroom snd electric blanket have all helped me.

Would a baby gate on your room keep the kittens out? You can still have the door open.

I would suggest to DH that a door is less important than your health and well-being.

I don't think we need the door open when dc are 11 and 8, do we?

Has anyone managed to improve the wee situation or is that just an inevitable consequence of getting older?

I actually read on here and chuckled to myself that going for a double wee before bed solves the night time needing the loo. But it bloody works. I go for a wee before brushing my teeth, washing, etc, check on one of the kids then do another wee. Within ten mins of the first one. Always works. As for the cats, yeah you need your sleep. I hate having the door shut but with older kids I think it's worth doing for a week as a trial.

Ok I will try the double wee!

You could try an acupressure mat (Shakti are the best but come with a price tag to match! Other, cheaper options are worth trying to start with).

Mine has been a total game changer.