With Sleep Awareness Month in full swing, we’ve been thinking a whole lot about Zzzz’s and the best way to catch them. We started by gathering 10 Expert Sleep Tips for Busy Moms by our friends at Yogasleep, and cobbling together a list of our 15 favorite Sleep Essentials (which we’re giving away to three lucky winners!).

Today we’re back with real life tales from the family sleep trenches. We’ve asked six mothers, from coast-to-coast, to detail the sleep habits of both themselves and their children—who range for toddlers to teens, and some with neurodiversities that make sleep an extra challenge.

Read ’em below and pick up some tips and tricks for yourself, while you’re at it!

Allison Egidi, Charlottesville, Virginia-based mother of Ainsley, 10, and Addison, 12.
“As a pediatric sleep specialist, I know exactly what helps me sleep well—but, if I’m being honest, I’m just as susceptible as any other mom to staying up later than I should for a little extra alone time or one more episode of a show. I always joke that I could use my mom coming back to parent me at bedtime so I’d stick to my ideal routine and 9:15–9:45 p.m. window.”

“When I do follow my routine (which I wish I could say happens every night!), it’s simple but incredibly effective: I put on my favorite bamboo pajamas, brush my teeth, wash my face, and then spend about 10 minutes on the floor of my bedroom either stretching or meditating (guided by an app). Then, I climb into bed and count backward from 100 in my head—by the time I reach the 80s, I’m usually out.”

“My sleep setup is just as important. I like my room completely dark, the temperature set to 68 degrees, the overhead fan on, and soft white noise in the background. White noise has been a staple in our house since my kids were babies, and we still use Yogasleep’s Dohm Classic machines today.”

“My daughters’ sleep routines are simple and consistent. My 10-year-old’s ideal bedtime is 7:30 p.m., and my 12-year-old’s is 9 p.m.—though sports and homework sometimes push those times later. Their wind-down routine includes a shower (not every night!), pajamas, brushing their teeth, and 10–15 minutes of reading in a dimly lit room before lights out. If they’re having trouble falling asleep, they use the same counting-backward trick I do. Since we have an open floor plan, I place a Dohm white noise machine in the hallway outside their rooms to buffer sounds from the rest of the house—TV, clanking dishes, barking dogs, and my husband and me chatting. It’s a total game-changer!”

Follow Allison on Instagram at @sleepandwellnesscoach.

Natalie Gochez, Honolulu, Hawaii-based mom of Sol, 5, and Auggie, 10.
“We like to keep bedtime sacred and cozy in our home. Sleep is a big deal, not just for the kids but for us parents, too! Our goal is to get a solid 8-9 hours of sleep ourselves while making sure the little ones get around 10. To keep things smooth and consistent, Kris and I divide and conquer. Kris takes care of Sol (5), and I help Auggie (10). We start by setting the vibe: tidying up the room, dimming the lights, turning on the white noise, and snuggling in for a bedtime story (or two).”

“But bedtime isn’t just about winding down, it’s also a time for protection and connection. We bring in our ancestral traditions by calling on our ancestors to watch over the kids and guide them into restful, happy dreams. One of our favorite rituals is helping the kids visualize a big, sparkly white bubble surrounding them, keeping them safe and grounded as they drift off to sleep. Most nights, the kids fall asleep around the same time, giving us parents a couple of golden hours to relax before we start our own bedtime routine.”

Follow Natalie on Instagram at @nataliegochez.

Natalie Brookshire, Chico, California-based mom of Hawk, 7, and Friday, 8.
“In the last year, I have gotten really focused on my own sleep routine. I have always been focused on my children’s and we have always had a before-bed routine. Despite all of this, we all still struggle with sleep. My kids wake up at least once, if not multiple times a night, and my son has a lot of trouble going back to sleep. It’s chronic, as it is with many neurodivergent children. I know we are not alone in our struggles and they are brutal. This is the exact reason I have focused on helping to aid us in any way we can.”

“About a year ago, I got serious about our sleep routines. Because I don’t go to bed late, I need to overlap our routines the best I can. I stated listening to Berkeley sleep professor Matt Walker on The Matt Walker Podcast and he has great insight to how to create healthy habits.”

“The kids start bedtime around 7:30-7:45 p.m. and they go to sleep around 8:30-8:45 p.m. Our kids are close in age and if they are getting along we will do the whole process together, and if they are not we try and separate them to keep the process calmer. My husband travels for work, so I am often doing bedtime alone, and when that is happening, I run a tighter ship. We do a nightly bath and then snuggle and read stories. We have an outdoor tub and we often do the bathtime routine out there. My husband does most of the reading because I am so tired at the end of the day. My children like to sleep in oversized t-shirts, we have a sound machine running, blackout curtains, I put on the oil defuser, and my daughter cannot sleep without her eye mask. She is hooked on it, just like I am.”

“My routine starts around 8 p.m.-ish when they are bathing and I take a shower, which I do every night. I slather my evening skincare on and put on my robe and am in my wind-down mode. Then, either my husband or I read stories to the kids and once they are asleep I will eat a Yasso frozen yogurt bar. I have had one almost every single night for a year. Prior to bedtime, I have taken fiber, Calm, and finished drinking liquid as I am trying to cut down on the mid-sleep bathroom wake-ups. I leave my phone hidden in the laundry room where my kids won’t find it. I often sit on my washer and send my last texts and send my daily gratitude list to a friend (someone I met online that I have never met in person) which is a habit I so love. Around 9-9:30 p.m. I get in bed and read with my LED light mask on. As I get in, I turn on the sound machine and spray my pillow with Koala Eco. My personal rule has always been to turn the lights off at 10 p.m. and we have our lights connected to Siri, so I get to have a ‘clap on, clap off’ moment from bed. Sometimes I am asleep by 9:30 p.m. and sometimes by 10:30 p,m.—but the aim is 10 p.m. I sleep with an eye mask, ear plugs, and mouth tape. I am 100% not low maintenance, and I love it.”

“My number one tip for sleeping is to not sleep under the same roof as your kids.”

Follow Natalie on Instagram at @nataliebdesigns.

Charu Subramanian, Berkeley, California-based mother of Sana, 2 1/2.
“Our sleep routine starts with my daughter’s nighttime routine first. Our family wind-down starts around 7 p.m. when we dim or turn off most of the lights in our home, signaling to our bodies and minds that it’s time for rest. Since we’re doing some light potty training, my daughter first uses her potty, which she gets very excited about, then brushes her teeth. We make a big deal out of it, singing about getting rid of cavities. Next, it’s bath time. Once she’s out of the tub, we quickly apply lotion and get her into her pajamas.”

“After she’s dressed, she makes her rounds saying goodnight—to the birds she can see from the living room, to our dog—and then we head to her room. We snuggle up on her bed to read one book (which often turns into three). She sips a little water, we turn on her white noise machine (a key factor!), and she drifts off to sleep.”

“Once she’s asleep, I have a couple of hours to wrap up work. When I’m finally ready for bed, I brush my teeth, do my skincare routine (I never miss, no matter how exhausted I am), put on fresh pajamas, and read on my Kindle for about an hour before falling asleep around 11 p.m. My goal is for 8-9 hours but these days, I am lucky if I get 6 hours of decent sleep.”

“A few things that have really helped my sleep: reading before bed, sleeping on a silk pillow (it stays soft and cool), using a humidifier, and, surprisingly, the gentle white noise that seeps from my daughter’s room. (We can hear in our room, as well, since we keep the doors open at night for her to come over incase she wakes up scared).”

Follow Charu on Instagram at @brandsandbobs and brandsandbobs.substack.com.

Donna Duarte-Ladd, Brooklyn, New York-based mom of an 8-year-old and 15-year-old.
“I wish I had appreciated my sleep more before having kids—I now realize what a privilege a good night’s rest truly is. I aim for at least 7 hours of sleep; getting more is a win for the entire family.”

“The nighttime routine starts early with my youngest, as the teenager is his own entity and another story. Around 6 p.m., we begin with what has become a well-orchestrated dance: after dinner clean-up, bath time, and a little me-time, then we go straight into our bedtime routine. My youngest son (8), who is autistic, thrives on a solid routine, and it has been years of challenge to get him to sleep through the night. A structure to his bedtime has done wonders for his (and my) sleep! We snuggle up with books or bedtime videos. In the past, I would get up once he fell asleep and stay up for hours binge-watching; now, I do not open my laptop; I resist the pull of mindless social scrolling. Instead, I geek out on history, science, or positive stories—somehow, diving into random facts has become the perfect wind-down. What started as just keeping him company at bedtime has become my little ritual. In the evenings, when energy is high or it has been a hard day, we’ll listen to songs on Yoto, which doubles as a sound machine, gently lulling him (and sometimes me) to sleep.”

Follow Donna on Instagram at @motherburg.

Lauren Podoll, San Francisco, California-based mom of Ione, 8, and Dashiell, 13.
“I really value my sleep and I find that I’m at my best when I can get about 8-9 hours. That might sound like a lot for many adults, but I’m not a napper, so I try to log my hours between 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. My husband and I don’t like sleeping with our phones right next to the bed, so we use a charging drawer for our devices. I have an old fashioned alarm clock next to my side of the bed in case I need to set an earlier wake-up time. If I get up in the night to go to the bathroom, I do not check the time or turn on any lights, in an attempt to stay half asleep.”

“My routine is something like this: After our youngest child is asleep, my husband and I often watch a show together, and try to turn off all screens about 20 minutes before bed. Then we read (paper!) books until our eyes get tired. I take Magnesium Calm with warm water each night and find that settles my body down before bed. We have blackout curtains in our bedroom and use white noise, which muffles any street sounds. I notice that a cool room is helpful for sleeping, so we turn the heat down before bed. If my mind is especially agitated or I drank caffeine too late in the day, I will take a flower remedy called Rescue Sleep before turning off the light. It might be placebo effect, but I believe it helps me!”

“Our children are great sleepers in general. Occasionally our daughter has a bad dream and will come into our room, so one of us walks her back to her bed and she will usually settle back to sleep fairly swiftly. She is in second grade and still needs to sleep solidly from about 8/8:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. We take turns reading with her before bed and she likes a nightlight in her room. Our son often stays up later now that he’s a teenager, but we try to make him turn off his light by 9:30/10 p.m., earlier if he has a morning athletic practice. They both have blackout curtains in their rooms and neither currently uses white noise, although when they were babies, I swore by it!”

Follow Lauren on Instagram at @laurenpodoll.

Want to share your family’s sleep routine? Feel free to comment below on the sleep habits you swear by.