This post is sponsored by Blue Star Families. All opinions and work are my own.
Deployment wrecks sleep habits.
For anyone who has experienced the deployment of a loved one, you know this is true.
Maybe you miss sleeping alongside your person.
Maybe you’re up all night with worries and a racing mind.
Maybe it’s the nightmares.
Maybe you’re trying to stay awake later–or wake up earlier– to get a chance to speak with your loved one.
Or maybe it’s something else.
When John was deployed, my sleep was a mess. And I’m normally a champion deep sleeper. I struggled, y’all. And while I (mostly) kept it together, I found myself developing unhealthy habits– like falling asleep holding my phone. I also realized that I was just not getting the quality sleep that I normally did– I was staying up later and waking up earlier, trying to grab a few minutes with John before he went to bed. It was really, really difficult to maintain a normal schedule.
And I’m an adult.
How can kids cope with these huge life changes and emotions?
And saying, “Our military kids are so resilient!” is not an adequate answer.
Don’t get me wrong– it’s true that they are resilient and awesome, and all of the other great things that they are. But they are also children who have their worlds turned upside-down by the military. And that can be jarring.
Blue Star Families has found that more than a third of military families report not getting the sleep they need to function effectively. That’s not just spouses– that’s kids too.
According to Blue Star Families, over a third of military families have said their military child experienced sleep issues as a result of deployment alone. And more than half of military families said their child experienced separation anxiety, worry, and/or sleep issues because of deployment, too.
The lack of sleep–or lack of quality sleep–can seep over into every part of life. From behavior, to academic success, to development, to mood… If you’ve ever felt cranky or couldn’t keep your eyes open, you know the struggle and you know how uncomfortable and frustrating it can be at any age.
The sleep issues of military kids have a spill-over effect for their parents, who are worried about them and are working to mitigate those effects of sleepless or sleep-poor night, and are dealing with other myriad stressors of military life. It. Is. A. Lot. And it’s a lot even when you’re firing on all cylinders and have great sleep patterns and habits.
That’s why Blue Star Families and Sleep Number want to help.
Help your military kid get a good night’s sleep
While there’s is certainly no one-size-fits-all solution for sleep issues, Blue Star Families, along with their partner Sleep Number, has 100 Sleep Well Kits to give to military families with children. These kits are loaded with goodies perfect for little ones, and ring in at over $650 in value.
Here’s what’s in these amazing Sleep Well kits:
- Sleep Number Kids™ Pillow, Twin Protection Pad, and Twin Sheets.
- ZZZ Bear Bundle
- Sesame Street MilKid Transition Activity Book
- Subscription to Caribu Reading App
For a chance at this epic prize, you just need to nominate your military child to Blue Star Families. The form takes less than two minutes to complete.
Blue Star Families and Sleep Number have been connecting military kids to Sleep Well Kits for years— there are hundreds of winners all over the country who have been comforted amidst the chaos of military life. Emarosa is one of last year’s winners:
Read More:
- To the Military Spouse Who Is Freaking Out Right Now
- For the Military Spouse Who Is Overwhelmed Today
- 9 Ways an Anxious Military Spouse Can Calm Down
