This post is part of an editorial series, “Sweet Sleep,” brought to you by the Fort Worth Moms Blog. We hope these pieces provide you with helpful information, encouragement, and insight as your navigate your family’s sleep journey.
Let me start with a question that seems simple but is so complicated to a mom: Why do YOU feel so guilty about resting? I said YOU because I personally no longer carry the guilt of resting when the house is running wild! But I want you to ask yourself this question out loud: Why do I feel guilty about resting?
Moms have gone so long admiring their spouses, significant others, and even our children’s ability to lay around in what looks like chaos to us but to them it is a well-loved, lived-in home!
So listen, mama, I am here to free you from the burden of “sleep guilt.” I have the formula that helped me rest, UNAPOLOGETICALLY, yes, even at 10:00 a.m.!
Why Moms Feel Guilty About Sleeping
First, let’s address the “why.” The guilt comes from thinking we are using precious productive time to be lazy, when in fact, without that recharge we become even less productive. Consider how productive you are in the morning after a good nights rest. Can you imagine having that same burst at 2:00 p.m.?
Here is the math! On a normal day, mom is up before the rest of the house. If your alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m., the house may not have to get up for another 45 minutes <—- THIS is what you are missing! You have sacrificed 45 minutes to an hour of your rest to get the house ready for the day. Let’s go to the evening: Everyone is fed and in bed by 8:00 p.m., and here you are at 10:00 p.m., laying out clothes, signing folders, wiping down table. Once again you have sacrificed HOURS of sleep to ensure everyone else is prepared for the next day. So I ask you again: WHY would you feel guilty about sleep? You have put in the hours while everyone else is resting; you have literally earned a lunch break by 10:00 a.m.!
Sleep With Confidence
There is no perfect timing for rest. Some of us work, some of us stay at home with kids. You just have to be confident that what you have done is enough and walk away from the task for a brief moment and listen to your body. Let the older kids know that there is nothing you need in this 30 minutes while I nap. Hand over those babies to your spouse/partner and let them know, I am taking a nap. I am not asking permission; please keep the kids in here with you. When those babies go down for nap, you are going to walk away from any task and lay down with them. You have the option of waking up before them to warm back up.
The best mom is a rested mom. You have more energy, patience, and focus when you are rested. You have done ENOUGH and honestly no one cares about those dishes being in the sink for another hour but you. GO TO SLEEP.
