Why It's Important for Your Clients to Practice Self-Care

Parents often turn to sleep consultants when their lives are in turmoil—especially when their kids have challenging sleep habits that make it difficult to live a normal life. Some children might wake up throughout the night while others sleep at odd hours, and it can make balancing a normal work schedule and daily activities a nightmare. And because parents want the best for their kids, they often sacrifice their own health to accommodate their children. 

Self-care is essential for moms and dads who want to parent at their best. It is also important for any human who wants to live a happy, healthy life. Even small changes to self-care habits can have a big impact on both your physical and mental health. 

Here are a few reasons why self-care is so important and why you should encourage your clients to take time to themselves. 

Sleep Deprivation Causes Long-Term Health Problems

Parents often sacrifice sleep when their kids are growing up. They don’t have enough hours in the day to work, raise their children, and complete basic house chores, so they cut back on sleep to free up some time. 

However, sleep deprivation is dangerous for people of all ages. In the short run, it can make you feel tired and crabby, create brain fog, and cause you to forget important information. In the long run, it can cause a variety of negative health problems ranging from high blood pressure to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

By working with parents to make sure they’re staying healthy, your consultancy can put them in the best place possible to work on managing a potentially stressful sleep challenge with their child. 

New Parents Often Lose Their Identities

It’s not uncommon for parents of all genders, but especially new moms, to lose their identities after childbirth. They are focused on caring for their child while their support system is also centered around the baby. This means it is hard for moms to care for themselves. Being a mom is certainly rewarding, but every woman also has other needs, interests, and desires. 

You can protect the mental health of your clients by encouraging them to practice self-care in a way that preserves their identity. Suggest starting small by carving out an hour a week to take a yoga class or go for a walk in nature. Encourage parents to set aside at least 15 minutes each day for themselves, whether that involves engaging in a craft or listening to their favorite podcast. These small breaks can allow parents to be themselves and take a moment away from child-rearing. 

Self-Care Helps New Parents Have Energy for Their Kids

Parental burnout is a real condition that can leave moms and dads feeling exhausted or distant from their children. Parents experiencing burnout might question whether they are doing a good job, want to escape from it all, and could quickly start experiencing more serious mental health issues like depression or anxiety.

Self-care is essential for avoiding parental burnout, and it’s better to be ahead of the game than behind the ball. It allows moms and dads to refresh themselves so they feel confident and excited to spend time with their kids, and that’s better for everyone! They will have more patience when something goes wrong and more energy to play and explore the world together. 

When talking to your clients about self-care, consider using a battery charging metaphor. In the same way that powering your smartphone keeps it going, parents need to charge their batteries as well. Self-care is not selfish and not something parents should feel guilty about. In fact, it’s an essential part of making every day your very best.

Talking About Self-Care Makes Parents Feel Less Alone

Parenting is stressful because many moms and dads don’t know what is normal or expected. Their feelings of exhaustion might seem like a natural part of parenting, even though they are actually neglecting their health. Leading self-care conversations can give parents safe spaces to talk about themselves and their experiences. They can share their feelings of exhaustion or loneliness with someone they trust. 

You have the power to validate the experiences of your clients. Not only can they feel heard, but you can provide guidance on how they can protect their mental health moving forward.  

Build Parent Self-Care Into Your Sleep Consultancy

Sleep consultants support parents just as much as they help kids. Not only can you teach entire families how to develop healthy habits, but you can guide new moms and dads through self-care strategies they can use for decades. Getting enough sleep, taking time for individual interests, and communicating openly can help families thrive and flourish during some of the most incredible times of their lives.

To learn more about building self-care discussions into your consultancy—and a few tips for yourself along the way—start exploring all the resources the Sweet Sleep Academy offers. Whether it’s mentoring, coursework, or a community of consultants just like yourself, you’ll find everything you need to make your business thrive.