It was the middle of the night.
I was absolutely at my wit’s end.
In tears, frustrated…and with no end in sight.
It had been 5 years since I stopped sleeping, due to…
1) Pregnancy
2) The first child
3) The second child
At this point in time, my real estate career was suffering and my relationship just ended. I was doubting that I had the “mom” gene. I missed my fancy-free life. I couldn’t stand not sleeping. I was a disaster!
Screw it. I poured myself another glass of wine, hoping I’d pass out.
This was my breaking point in 2015.
Bedtime was a complete nightmare.
“Mama…I have to pee/poo. I’m thirsty. I need more hugs and kisses. I have a cut from 8 days ago that now needs immediate attention. I hear the wind. I can’t hear you. What are you doing? What are we doing tomorrow? Where are the clouds from? Do you think the sun will fall and hurt us? I need to pee…again. I want cuddles.”
I was dying on the inside. I was an incredible mom, and I still am, but those first few years almost took me out.
One night, in my midnight rage, I sat on my couch and looked everywhere on the internet for a sleeptime routine for children that could actually work. I found absolutely NO HELP.
Then I thought, when do the boys actually listen at a drop of a hat? They listen when I bring up Santa or the tooth fairy… Hold on, why isn’t there a Sleep Fairy?
Sleep Fairy was born that night. I stayed up and made a plan to get the boys to believe in this mythical creature.
It took me about 2 weeks to make her seem real to them. I name-dropped Tinker Bell, as they are friends. She works like the tooth fairy. I had my girlfriends stop by and say “Oh you need to call the Sleep Fairy.”
The boys completely called me on it and said the Sleep Fairy wasn’t real. I said, “The Sleep Fairy only comes to families that ask her to come. She is very busy. She has rules and if you don’t follow her rules, she will not stay; she is a special fairy.”
The boys started asking for her to come, but I was reluctant, because “Boys, I’m not sure you will follow her rules.”
I made up 4 rules that were my pain points:
- Children must go to bed, no fuss, no muss
- If the children get up to go to the bathroom, they must do so quietly and go back to their beds without waking anyone up
- When getting up in the morning, kids must play quietly without waking anyone up
- Let Mama sleep; she needs her superpowers also
We ended up calling the Sleep Fairy and asking her to come.
IT WORKED ON THE FIRST NIGHT!!!!
I was just about to 💩 my pants! I was shocked and NEEDED to share this with the world.
Imagination is an extraordinary thing…
Getting our sleep back brought us all back to life.
Years later, I published a gorgeous book for children to read and made a course to help other moms.
If you find yourself in a similar struggle, know that there is hope. Join me in embracing the magic of the Sleep Fairy and reclaiming the restful nights you and your family deserve. Sign up now for your FREE digital sleep book and let the enchantment begin.