Do you ever find it really overwhelming when people ask you what you what’s on your Christmas list?

You’re thinking, like, I’m an adult! I don’t have a Christmas list! This is awkward. Nice, but awkward. What do I say??

I have an idea for you – especially if it’s a very generous family member who won’t take “No gifts for me, please!” for an answer! We all have that one family member, riight??

Ask for sleep. The thing you really want. They thing you’ve been yearning for.

It is an experience type of gift, which honestly, is all the rage right now!

Sleep benefits the whole family unit.

Sleep is one of our main needs as human beings. You need sleep to function. Your baby needs sleep to grow and thrive.

Truly, sleep is the gift that keeps on giving.

Benefits of sleep for baby:

Promotes growth (when they sleep, growth hormones are released)
Promotes development

Benefits of sleep for parents:

When baby naps, it provides predictable breaks for caregivers
A better spousal relationship
If baby was previously in the parent’s bed, it promotes a physical connection between the parents again
Time to yourself (work out, read a book, do chores, take a nap, prep dinner, etc.)
Time with partner as a couple
Opportunities for date nights
More patience to handle the other stressors of parenting
More energy to keep up and play with your little one
More presence with your children rather than feeling like you’re constantly in a fog

Benefits of sleep for everyone:

Better mood
Better temperament
More energy
Feeling well rested
Immune health
Heart health
Improved mental health

Sleep is vital to your well-being and it’s SO GOOD FOR YOU! Wanting healthy sleep for your family is not selfish.

How to Ask For the Gift of Sleep

Do babies really need more toys or more things?? Probably not. At a certain point in time, when they no longer need night feeds, they need to be getting consolidated sleep at night. Want to know what else they need? A mom who is happy and well rested! Did you know it’s more detrimental to a child to have a parent who is not able to care for them because they’re sleep deprived than for them to do a few nights of supported sleep training (which is actually not detrimental at all)??

So, here’s what you can do…

When that family member inevitably asks what you’d like for Christmas, or, “What’s on your Christmas list this year?” here’s what you can say:

“I know you are so generous, and usually I have a hard time coming up with some ideas for you. But, you know what I’d really love, not just for me, but for my whole family? SLEEP. If we could all sleep well, we’d be thriving. There’s this girl I know on the internet – she’s also an RN – who helps families with sleep. She offers gift cards for her services, and this is something that would be such a valuable and life chagnning experience for my family at this time. If you wanted to gift us a package or money to go towards her services, I would appreciate it more than you know! Can I send you her information?”

Then, send them to my website!

Not sure if the gift of sleep is for you?? Before you ask for it, I’d love to chat with you! Hop on a free sleep evaluation call with me and I can answer any questions you have.

Here’s what others had to say about working together:

From Marie, a twin mom who worked with me a few years ago, and still has great little sleepers today – “I hired Ashley to sleep train my twins. Best decision ever!! My twins slept 12-14 hours a night at 4 months old! Talk about a blessing!! Still til this day, at three years old, they are in bed by 7:30/8 p.m. and sleep 12 hours.”

Seriously, sleep is the best gift you can give your child. And yourself.

If you have a friend or family member who you would like to share this gift with, please don’t hesitate to first have a conversation with them about their goals for their child. Or, even better, send them this blog post and see what they say!