It feels good to sleep, doesn’t it?  And being able to sleep in for a mom is like winning the lottery.  It's a rare achievement, and an almost impossible feat!

Well, the good news is, we don't have to slumber late into the morning to get enough shut-eye.  Although sleep needs vary from person to person, the National Sleep Foundation suggests adults, on average, should get between 7-9 hours per night.  Unfortunately, because of our hectic lives most moms are severely lacking in the snooze department.  Having said that, good sleep does make us feel better, and it is essential to our overall health.  Don’t believe me?  Check out three sleep benefits every mom needs to know about:

1.     It Strengthens Memory - How many times during the day do you find yourself forgetting things that should be easy for you to remember?  I know I have my hand up.  Quality, uninterrupted, sleep actually enhances our memories.  And, Harvard research states that consolidated sleep throughout an entire night is optimal for learning and memory; it is actually more difficult to take in new information following a night of inadequate or disturbed sleep. 

2.     It Reduces Stress - When I’m sleep deprived, and lagging, it can be extremely stressful.  Lack of sleep magnifies tension, which is most commonly displayed with our family, and in our work environment.  When we’re deficient in the sleep category we are not at our best, mentally, physically or emotionally. This, not only, can cause irritability and stress, but chronic insomnia can increase the risk of developing anxiety.

3.     It Makes Us Happy - There are probably a lot of us moms out there that get a little cranky when we’re tired and dragging from too little sleep.  Studies have shown that lack of sleep can actually cause depression.  Good sleep puts us in a better mood, and makes us more approachable and cheerful to those around us.

Maintaining good health is important, for us, but also for our families, who need mom to be her best.  The million and one things that we won’t ever get done in a day will be waiting for us tomorrow.  So, for the sake of your health let’s commit to putting down that to-do-list, shutting out the world, and getting a good night’s sleep. 

For more mommy ideas and tips check out: http://careermommy.hubpages.com/ or follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TinseltownMom.