In this first installment of the How Mom Series, we’re going to be talking about how mom sleeps. We ASSUME all moms sleep… but what does that actually look like? When is bedtime, what’s the bedtime routine, and when do they wake up?

I’m a night owl, so I usually go to bed pretty late – between 11pm and midnight. My husband and I try to go to bed at the same time. When I’m especially tired, though, I’ll often fall asleep on the couch, which is my favorite place to nap. I’d probably just sleep there all night if my husband didn’t wake me up!

I’ll be really honest and say I usually don’t wash my face at night. I know that’s probably pretty gross, but it’s the truth. I’m so exhausted that I brush my teeth, take my vitamin, remove my contacts, and crash into the bed.

I sleep with 2 pillows, and love to sleep in a cold room with a bunch of blankets. Last Christmas, I got a weighted blanket, and I love it. So now I sleep with the top sheet, the comforter, and the weighted blanket. We usually keep the ceiling fan on throughout the night, and the vent is right over us – so it keeps us pretty cool.

I’m a side sleeper, and often wake up in exactly the same position I was in when I fell asleep. We love to fall asleep with the TV on but we try to set a sleep timer so it turns off on its own. I also sleep with my phone beside the bed – oops. Lots of sleep rules being violated in my house!

My kids typically sleep through the night now, but I’m usually woken up very early – 5:30 or so – by either my alarm or one of my kids who is ready to get up for the day.

I wish I could say I had a beautiful, smooth transition into the day upon waking up, but the reality is that I stumble out of the bed trying to get to my screaming kid – so there’s nothing glamorous about how I wake up.

I’ll be posting some photos to go along with this episode over on Instagram at @influentialmotherhood, and you can post about how YOU sleep using the hashtag #howmomseries. I can’t wait to learn about your sleep routine – and get ready for next week’s episode, which will be all about how mom eats breakfast!