One of the lies I told myself as a new mom was that there would be some point in motherhood when I would sleep more. If I could just get the baby to sleep through the night, I would be golden. I would be able to sleep better and I would finally feel rested. Well, guess what? The babies started sleeping through the night, that magical time of life, and I continued to have crappy sleep. I tried everything :: new sleeping positions, new pillows, sleeping with the monitors on or off, not using my phone for hours before going to sleep, not eating for hours before. I Googled and Googled. There had to be something I could do, until finally it dawned on me ::
My Mattress!
While it wasn’t from the Stone Age, it was definitely purchased by my husband before we got together. We chose to use his mattress because it was newer and more expensive, but it was finally time to get a new mattress. Also, I knew it was time to upgrade to a larger size {Hello California King} because the Texan-heat radiating off of my husband did not mix well with the pregnancy hormones rushing through my body. Either he had to go or we needed a bigger mattress.
Mattress Firm to the Rescue
There’s no secret that Mattress Firm has almost replaced Starbucks around every corner. Every time a new strip center pops up, a Mattress Firm is there. My husband and I walked into the one closest to his office after having lunch, with limited time, and were taken care of very quickly. Our salesperson, Jason, helped us pick out a mattress that would work with us and gave us Mattress Firm’s data on sleep for the new parent and through the dark circles on both of us, it was eye opening ::
Work Hard, Sleep Harder.
Mattress Firm did a survey on new moms and obviously sleep was one of the biggest concerns was sleep. Getting the right amount and quality of sleep can have a dramatic impact on your life and your mattress plays a large role in this. I’ll admit after we got our new mattress in, my deep sleep numbers {Thanks FitBit!} increased and I actually felt refreshed in the mornings. Yes, even on the mornings that the baby woke up at 2:45 happy and giggling, quickly falling back to sleep, leaving her parents awake and staring at the monitors.
Proper Bedtime Routines
We were totally on the struggle bus with this our first few months into parenting. It got easier as we established a proper routine. My husband is a morning person and I. Am. Not. I am a night owl, so I would take the “first shift in the night” and he would wake up early with the baby. Setting this schedule was crucial for us, because without it, we would both wake up with the baby and that’s not good for anyone. Getting proper sleep usually seems impossible or gets the short end of the stick at the end of the day, but it is essential for resolving stress and preparing for the day ahead. Three weeks into parenthood taught us nothing more than the importance of sleep and routines.
Parenting is Hard Work
My babies are 3 and 5 now and parenting hasn’t gotten any easier; we’ve just kind of figured out what works for us. For us, sleep is a crazy number one priority. In fact, we saw a study at Mattress Firm that exposed the value of a good night’s rest for new parents, by revealing surprising data about their sleep habits. From diaper duty and late-night tantrums to potty training and bedtime stories, there’s no doubt that parents work hard. Sometimes we need a reminder to take a deep breath and remember to sleep harder.
One thing I didn’t realize until we walked into Mattress Firm was how many different options there were in mattresses. There were adjustable bases, Sleep Numbers, firm, soft, marshmallow level :: I’m sure there are even more I don’t know about. Depending upon what you have going on, Mattress Firm helped us find the right mattress for our lifestyle. The adjustable base was very convenient and comfortable for our late-night feedings with the new baby.
To find out more about how you can get your best night’s sleep, follow @MattressFirm on all social media accounts and the hashtag #WorkHardSleepHarder.
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I wasn’t the parent and I still lost a lot of sleep for my nephews. At my limits, I would probably have shelled out a grand just to get an extra hour of sleep each night, too!