“You may feel your sleep is less important than what is happening with the person in your care. You may think you can get by with limited sleep and catch up in the future. Unfortunately, this lack of sleep is more likely to catch up with you.”

So says an article in Canadian Virtual Hospice. Many of the insights it provides apply even if the person you’re looking after doesn’t have a life-limiting illness.

The article describes factors that contribute to sleep disturbances in caregivers and practical steps you can take to get more sleep.

Related articles:

• A caregiver’s guide to creating a respite care plan
• This breathing exercise can calm you down in a few minutes
• Guilt-busting: Pushing back against unreasonable caregiving expectations, including your own