A recent survey found that half of moms would rather sleep than have a spa day. So why is it so hard to give ourselves permission to rest? My husband can fall asleep anywhere, anytime.
Once, we took a day trip to Sedona, Arizona, and he fell asleep sitting on a rock. And the amazing thing is... the kids actually left him alone. I can be missing for five minutes, and they have spidey senses.
I can’t remember the last time anyone let me nap without pouncing on me within a few minutes of trying. And here’s another thing: I often sacrifice sleep for productivity. I can be exhausted at night, but if I haven’t accomplished everything on my to-do list, whether it’s remembering to email one of my kids’ teachers back, loading the dishwasher, or prepping for tomorrow’s interview, I’ll stay awake until it’s done.
When my head finally hits the pillow, my mind often keeps spinning through tomorrow’s to-do list. Apparently, I’m not the only mom doing this. Naturepedic, an organic sleep wellness brand, recently released a survey of 1,000 U.S. mothers ages 25–45 with children under 18 living at home.
Of those surveyed, 90% of moms said they struggle to quiet their busy minds at bedtime, and 48% get fewer than seven hours of sleep, with moms of kids 2 and younger averaging about 5.9 hours. What’s even bleaker: 62% of moms feel they need someone else’s formal permission to prioritize their own sleep without feeling guilty. Naturpedic calls this the "sleep permission gap," the disconnect between knowing we need rest and actually allowing ourselves to get it.
But why are we treating sleep like a privilege we have to earn rather than a basic human need? And how do we stop this sad, nasty little habit? Although more men are stepping up to help with household duties, unequal household responsibilities, limited support, and parenting demands can still play a role.
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