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If you’re thinking that the mom in your household deserves some extra rest on Mother’s Day, you’re right. But don’t stop there.

“One night of good sleep – yeah, that’s great,” said Dr. Kristen Knutson, an associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “But 365 would be better.”

That’s because sleep is a vital aspect of health, said Knutson, a sleep researcher who led the writing group for a 2025 51Â鶹 on the and its effect on health.

Why is sleep important?

Sleep, Knutson said, has been linked to many heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Dr. Nour Makarem, an assistant professor of epidemiology and co-director of the Chronic Disease Unit at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York, said sleep is “linked to almost every single physical and mental health condition under the sun.”

Makarem, who helped write the 2025 scientific statement, has led several other sleep-related studies published in Heart Association journals. She noted that sleep is part of Life’s Essential 8, key measures for improving and maintaining heart and brain health.

Most adults need from 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. But healthy sleep is about more than duration, Knutson said. Quality matters, and having a regular sleep pattern is crucial.

Despite its importance, studies say that up to half of women don’t get enough good sleep.

What sleep issues are particularly important for women?

Compared with men, women face a higher risk of poorer quality sleep or developing insomnia. They also are more likely to have trouble falling asleep.

Biological issues affecting women’s sleep include hormonal changes related to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. Cultural issues play a big role, too.

“Women are more likely to be primary caregivers,” Makarem said. “And this caregiving strain is associated with poorer sleep in women.”

There are a lot of gaps in the knowledge about sleep differences between men and women, she said. “Remember that women have only been included in this type of biomedical research for the past few decades.”

What are some ways to help mothers get enough sleep?

It’s important to start with realistic expectations.

Some things can’t be changed, Knutson said: Someone has to feed the baby in the middle of the night, and people have to wake up and go to work. That’s why Knutson doesn’t emphasize a goal of perfect sleep every night.

“I approach sleep the same way as one might with diet or exercise,” she said. “We do the best we can for the circumstances we’re in.”

Similarly, Makarem acknowledges that the ability to get enough sleep will vary over time. As a mother of 4- and 1-year-old boys, she understands the challenges.

“It’s OK to have periods in our lifespan that we’re just not sleeping very well,” she said, “as long as for the most part, we’re trying to have healthy sleep.”

The experts’ advice on ways for mothers to improve their sleep includes:

• Understanding and emphasizing sleep. Moms naturally want to care for their families, Makarem said. But their focus doesn’t need to be only on sacrifice. “It also needs to be on self-care.”


• Sticking to a regular sleep schedule. “Getting enough sleep and having a fixed sleep schedule are probably two of the most important things you can do for your sleep health,” Makarem said.
  
  

  Even if you’re limited in the number of hours you can sleep, Knutson said, keeping the sleep-and-wake hours consistent is healthier than shifting them around. “If you’re jumping around the clock about when you’re sleeping, that is not a healthy sleep pattern.”

• Keep sleep in mind throughout the day. “What happens at night influences how well you’re operating during the day, and then what happens to you during the day influences how well you’re going to sleep at night,” Knutson said.
  
  

  That means thinking about things such as coffee and alcohol consumption well before bedtime. Caffeine, depending on the amount consumed, can affect sleep as much as 12 hours after drinking it; alcohol can interfere with sleep quality.

  Eating a healthy diet and getting exercise can also promote better sleep, Makarem said.

  And avoid scrolling social media or working at a computer right up until lights out. Build in time for a transition period to relax and wind down, Knutson said. A lot of people will “work, work, work,” then lie in the bed and wonder, ‘Why aren’t I asleep right away?’ Well, of course you're not, because you're busy, busy, busy, busy.”

  Knutson said keeping track of your habits and sleep patterns can be useful. Pen and paper are fine, but she thinks wearable fitness trackers can be helpful. (So if you’re looking for a Mother’s Day gift idea, there you go.)

• Get help if you need it. Some things about sleep just aren’t in a mom’s control. “If nothing is working and they’re still not sleeping well, they should feel empowered to speak to their doctor about it,” Knutson said.

How can family members help a mom get healthy sleep?

Family members should want Mom to sleep well because of all the downstream consequences, Knutson said. Nobody wants a mom who’s sick or irritable. Studies have shown that a mother’s sleep levels can affect her effectiveness as a parent.

“Obviously, the more the father or the partner can help with household-related and child care-related tasks, ideally without having to be told,” the more time a mom will have for sleep at night – and the more time she’ll have to do healthy things during the day that support her sleep, Knutson said.

Older children can take on age-appropriate tasks, such as making their lunches or getting their clothes ready – and buy into the reality that “it really benefits everyone in the family if everyone in the family is sleeping well.” (Knutson understands this can be a tough sell – her daughter, now a teenager, once complained about her bedtime by saying she wished her mom studied something besides sleep.)

Knutson says it comes down to this: Sleep helps a mom do the things she does to help everyone else, and “a happy mom is a happy family.”

And in case you’re still wondering, Makarem said, “I would say definitely on Mother’s Day, let her sleep in.”

For those looking to do something meaningful this Mother’s Day – aside from letting Mom sleep in – there’s a simple way to help. Millions Honoring Moms makes it easy to honor mothers and caregivers while supporting lifesaving research, education and community programs that help families spend more time together. And through May 15, every gift helps unlock a $1 million matching donation, doubling its impact.