jtrent238 test blog: Getting Any These Days?

Photo Credit: Ana Gambuto

Hi, all! I'm Grace Bastidas, editor in chief of Parents, mom of two, and creator of the 10-minute cinematic mini-series. What's that, you ask? It's when you stream a feature-length movie for over a week because you nod off every night trying to finish it. Sound familiar? Turns out that when I'm not snoozing on my couch, I spend a lot of time thinking about sleep. Whether it's hoping for a solid stretch or going over what kept me up last night, it's a constant theme for me. I'm guessing that I'm not alone.

Yet before we can even think about our own shuteye, many of us have to first lull our kids to sleep. According to Parents' 2023 Sleep Survey, a whopping 85 percent of caregivers use some kind of product to help their children sleep. Me included. My girls, now 8 and 10, have had a white noise machine since they were babies. While they have different sleep personalities (the youngest is a light sleeper and the first one up every day; the oldest needs prying from the top bunk most mornings), they're more or less good sleepers. So, I have no plans to silence the sound of those ocean waves.

Not to say there isn't the occasional blip in the system. Nightmares, illness, worries, a flat pillow, a too warm room, a too cold room, thirst, the subsequent full bladder... You know the drill. There are any number of things that can cause bad sleep, no matter a child's age. In fact, our survey shows that 52 percent of parents with kids ages 9 to 12 report scooching over in bed at least once a month to make room for their children in the middle of the night.

As someone with a kid in that age range who doesn't own a king size mattress and would rather not have a tween in her bed, that stat stopped me in my tracks. So, as a preemptive measure, I reached out to Lola Sanchez Liste, a certified pediatric sleep consultant and mom of two in New York City, for a solution to this particular situation. She says that when it comes to keeping kids in their own bedrooms, if that's your preference, it's up to the grown-ups to set boundaries and stay consistent.

"Sleep requires a lot of effort," she says. "If you want to make it work, it needs to be a priority. And that starts with the adults adapting better sleep habits themselves." Gulp. That last piece of advice certainly hit close to home. So, instead of trying to stay awake in front of the TV tonight, I vow to give my tired body what it desperately needs: sleep! Hopefully my kids will be in their beds doing the same.

Sweet dreams,
Grace
grace.bastidas@parents.com
@brooklynwriter

P.S. Catch me on Good Morning America this Saturday morning talking about Parents Kids' Sleep Awards!