If there’s one thing every mom has in common it’s sleep deprivation. In fact, nearly half of all parents with children six months or younger get just one to three hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. For lifestyle influencer, entrepreneur, and mom of two girls—Ayda (5) and Luca (2) (with one on the way)—Mikayla Shocks, sleep just seems like an extension of her day. “My kids aren’t the best sleepers so I am usually awoken by one or both of them one to two times per night,” she tells Create & Cultivate. “Even on the few lucky nights that they do sleep all night long, my mom-brain automatically wakes me up around the times they typically wake!”

Sound familiar? Practicing good sleep hygiene is just as important for mom as it is for baby which is why a good routine always helps—sticking to it though is another thing entirely! But if like Mikayla, you’re having trouble with that, perhaps the secret to unlocking a full 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep is less about how they’re sleeping and more about what they’re sleeping on.

We’re all familiar with the famous comfort-gel Grid technology of the Purple mattress, well now there’s finally a Purple for kids. We sent the new mattress for Mikayala’s two young girls to test out and the results were life-changing. Read on to hear more about their experience along with Mikayla’s sleep tips, bedtime routine (including her nightstand must-haves), and how she’s teaching her kids about the health benefits of a good night’s sleep.

Sleep, or lack of it, can contribute to many health concerns including mental health, productivity, weight, immunity—the list goes on! Getting good sleep is all about how you wind down before bed. Can you share your nighttime routine or pre-sleep ritual and how that sets you up for sleep success? Why does this enhance a more restful night’s sleep?

Whether my kids wake me at night or not, I always sleep better when I follow my own routine after my kids go to bed. This includes: taking a long hot shower, stepping into my robe, putting a good smelling lotion all over my body, doing my skincare routine, listening to my podcast, and making sure my bed is made and my pillows are fluffed right before I get in!

What are your nightstand must-haves for a good night’s sleep?

A tall glass of ice-cold water
A humidifier
Chapstick

What are your hacks for getting through the day after a bad night’s sleep?

Coffee and lots of deep breaths!

What does your kid/s sleep ritual look like? Can you share the challenges of getting your kids into a healthy sleep routine—what’s worked/what hasn’t?

My kids’ sleep ritual (on a good day) goes a little something like them taking a bath and putting lots of lotion and warm pajamas on. Then they each choose a healthy snack to eat in bed (usually a few carrots or some apple slices.) While they eat them, we read two books of their choice. They get a glass of water for their nightstand and get into bed. Then we turn on their noise machine, humidifier, and nightlight.

The biggest challenge with this is that we have a very sporadic schedule, and every day tends to be different than the last. This sometimes pushes their bedtime back which gets them out of their good habits. Some nights also just don’t go as planned and they end up sneaking out of their room three to four times before finally giving in and going to sleep.

Purple_Blog Assets_Mikayla Shocks-13.png

Can you recommend any books that helped?

The ABC’s of Sleep by Taking Cara Babies is AMAZING and helped us so much when our youngest was a baby.

How much have your sleep patterns and rituals changed since quarantine? Why?

Quarantine has actually helped improve our sleep patterns and rituals. I attribute this to the fact that this time has really caused us to slow down during the day and free up our schedule of running in and out of the house all day and really focus on creating a routine that we can follow every night.

How much does your mattress impact your and your kid/s sleep and why?

Our mattresses greatly impact our sleep as a family. My husband and I have a pretty nice and comfortable mattress that we invested a lot of money into. The girls’ on the other hand are “as hard as a rock” as my five-year-old puts it. The few times I have laid with her in her bed, I actually thought the same thing (ha!) I would imagine that having a high-quality, comfortable mattress would help my kids’ sleep patterns tremendously.

Now, your favorite mattress brand, Purple just launched for kids and yours have been testing it. What were your kid/s first impressions—how has it enhanced their sleep, what changes have you noticed, would you recommend it—tell us everything!

THIS MATTRESS HAS OFFICIALLY CHANGED THE GAME! We are on night four of sleeping with the Purple kid’s mattresses and my kids have consecutively gone to sleep and stayed asleep in their own beds every night so far! I don’t know why it never dawned on me that the reason why they were terrible sleepers was that their mattresses were terrible! I 100% recommend this Purple kids mattress for wild sleepers who have trouble staying asleep. I have never slept better in my life because they have never slept better in their lives!

How are you teaching your children about the importance of sleep hygiene and rituals for a good night’s sleep? Can you recommend any books?

I try to make them excited about their routine and teach them to love it. I try to emphasize how much better they feel when they’re clean and get into a bed that’s made and has clean sheets.

What advice do you have for sleep-deprived parents reading this who are struggling to find a routine that sticks and gets their kids into a routine?

Keep it simple! Don’t overwhelm yourself (or your kids) with trying to get into a complicated routine. Set clear boundaries like telling them they can only come out of their room when the sun comes up, and communicating to them how much happier mom and dad are and how helpful it is when everyone gets a good night's sleep in their own beds. Kids love to please their parents so if they have a great night then make a big deal about it and celebrate so they want to do it again, and again!

Sentence finishers:

When I make time for self-care, I... take a hot shower, put on my favorite facemask and podcast, and curl up in my nice, warm bed!

My go-to tip for a good night’s sleep is... making sure your bed is made before getting in and leaving your phone on the other side of the room!

If there were more hours in the day I would... sit alone outside and watch the sunrise with a hot cup of coffee and a cozy blanket.

Moms know best because... we always want what’s best.

A good night’s sleep feels like... hitting a reset button on life!

I’d give up coffee for an uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep.

The silliest thing I’ve done while sleep deprived is... forget to attach the bottle to my breast pump while pumping—oops!