Dear mother, this year I am going to be celebrating 17 years of motherhood as my firstborn, Emir, turns 17 years old. Everything changed from the moment I knew I was expecting. The moment I was told he had Down syndrome, I lost sleep and became extra anxious not knowing what to expect or what else to do to help my child thrive in a world that is not easy for any child, much more for one with a disability. Years later, my daughter was born with the same condition, and the sleepless nights went on. I didn’t want to miss a second, and so I deprived myself of sleep in the attempt to better their lives and their opportunities.
At one point, I found myself burnt out and confused. I wanted to keep going, to keep changing the world for them, but I didn’t have energy left in me. That’s when I realized that love is not about sacrificing your wellbeing as a mother, but loving yourself more than anyone in order to give love and hope to those who depend on you. Believe or not, learning how to have a good night’s sleep became my goal as I gain awareness about the importance of slowing down and finding balance and Sleep.com has become one of those resources for me.
Can you relate to this? I imagine you can because I know I am not the only one, and I know as well that, we mothers, lose sleep out of love and that powerful desire to make the world better for our children. Loving this much is the most powerful and empowering feeling ever, but dear mother it is not healthy to believe that we can deprive ourselves of one of the most basic human needs, a good night’s sleep.
That said, I want to challenge you to plan for a good night sleep with the following strategies that have helped me find my balance:
1. Set a routine for you and your family that allows you to slow down and get ready for a good night’s sleep. I know we cannot control everything that happens at home, but with a good schedule, we can help everyone learn routines that will give us all structure and opportunity to get ready to go to bed early as we learn to self-regulate and rest.
2. An old one but still powerful is, turn off the electronic devices, including the TV for a nighttime story. Reading a book is always a calming and beautiful moment as a family. Also, a good seed to have magical and happy dreams.
3. Have a warm drink, like caffeine-free tea or a delicious glass of milk. Close your eyes and breathe. Calming sounds or sleeping stories can be of help.
4. Invest in a good pillow and a nice pair of pj’s. I know it’s not always easy and budgets might be tight, but you deserve it. Create your own oasis of relaxation and self-love.
Guess what? I want to help you because I want you and other moms to be aware of the importance of a good night’s sleep and take immediate action. For that, I have partnered with Sleep.com and Mattress Firm to bring a lucky winner a package that includes the following:
GIVEAWAY PACKET
How to participate?
- Visit me at https://www.instagram.com/elianatardio/
- Like the post
- Follow @MattressFirm @sleep_dot_com and @elianatardio
- Nominate a mom or mother figure by tagging her in a comment and telling us why she is in need of better sleep (if she doesn’t have an Insta account, her name is enough)
- Extra entries: Share post on your stories, tag all accounts, and encourage others to nominate their mom/mother figure
- Visit the Official Rules, here.
Winner to be chosen on 5/10/21
- Can someone give you the answers you are looking for as a parent? - September 23, 2023
- ¿Puede alguien realmente darte las respuestas que buscas como padre? - September 23, 2023
- Criando a Tus Hijos, ¿Te Mueve la Pasión o Te Controla la Ansiedad? - September 14, 2023
