Viva la Mami - Latina Motherhood, Modern Parenting, Latina Well-Being

134. How to Transform Your Sleep and Celebrate Cultura with Angela Fernandez

• Jessica Cuevas • Season 5 • Episode 134

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I sat down with Angela Fernandez, founder of Dulce Dreams, to discuss something we don't talk about enough - sleep hygiene and how it connects to our wellbeing as Latina moms. Angela shared her journey from sleep-deprived new mom to entrepreneur who created the bamboo pajama brand she couldn't find anywhere else.

For detailed show notes, visit vivalamami.com/episode134

What you'll hear:

  • Why women ages 35-44 get the least sleep but need 7-9 hours to function properly
  • How Angela broke generational cycles around perfectionism to prioritize rest over spotless homes
  • The connection between bamboo fabric, sensitive skin, and better sleep quality
  • How Dulce Dreams celebrates Hispanic culture through intentional prints like Lotería and Pan Dulce designs
  • Why supporting small Latina-owned businesses matters for our community's economic power

Resources Mentioned:

Ways to Follow Angela:

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squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

being a mom can be overwhelming. And it was a little hard for me to find myself and find ways to care for me and for the baby. And also Luna had eczema. Still has eczema. And so we had to be very conscientious about what types of lotions we put on her, what types of soaps, what type of clothing.'cause she could break out very easily. And so I started doing some research and I found bamboo. Bamboo could be. One of the items that we could use on her safely that I knew wasn't gonna irritate her skin. But once I bought her some, I bought some for myself, I was like, okay, let's do a little matching moment. And I fell in love. I fell in love with the texture. I fell in love with just everything about it. And so I started buying a lot more and just spending a lot of money on it, if I'm being quite honest. But I, the reason why I kept buying more, especially for myself, was because I found myself, being a lot more comfortable at night. I'm a hot sleeper, and these PJs, they're breathable and and they're thermo regulating. So if you're a hot sleeper, it keeps you nice and cool. If you are, you like to be a little bit warmer, it just makes you warmer. So it works both ways. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is great. And so I started buying more into it and then I hit a point where I'm like, wait a minute. I'm spending all this money on this one product, which I love, and I'll continue to do. But I didn't see representation of our culture, right? And I had this idea of what if I created my own line so that we could use it and also share it with the rest of the world?

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Lala, Angela, how are

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

hi. Good to see you. Nice to meet you in person, kind of.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Yes. Yes. So nice to meet you. I'm very excited for you to be here. just believe that the, the power of social media can literally connect us in so many different levels, and I appreciate you reaching out to me because I was very thrilled a brand dedicated for. Little que and families and celebrating Latino culture. And so literally became a dream of like how amazing this is. and so I am so excited for you to be here. Just because I think you have a lot to share and how your business is essentially rooted into a topic that is often. Not really talked about with and that is sleep and specifically sleep hygiene, which I'm very curious to learn more about. But before we delve into the conversation, if you can introduce yourself and tell our listeners a little bit more about you. I.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Absolutely. Um, well, my name is Angela. I am Mexican, first and foremost. Um, I was raised here in Texas. Um, I'm a nurse by trade. I've been a nurse for about 10 years now. I did, or I am still doing actually'cause I still have a full-time job. Um, women services. So I've always. Dealt with women. I did labor and delivery, and then I did a little bit of high risk, um, coordination. And now I'm back on the floor in a hospital here in Texas, uh, Texas children. Um, and I'm in the women's pavilion. I work with. Basically it's like the ER of, um, for women. And I love it. I love that every day it's a different story. It's, it's, it's a great place to work. But, um, I'm also DOA Dreams founder. Uh, it's been truly a dream of mine to create something that represents our culture, that represents me and my family. i've also been really, really passionate about eco-friendliness. I think that's super important to pass on to our children. We only have one Earth and we have to take care of it. So part of Dulce Dreams, goal is not just to represent our culture, but also to kind of save our planet. We're using bamboo fabrics. And so bamboo essentially is something that can be produced very quickly. It does not require a lot of pesticides. Um, so we're able to produce this in a manner that kind of helps us with our earth, right, and keeps our earth, uh, nice and clean for future generations to be able to live in.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

And we'll definitely talk about your business because I think it is so important to share, Dulce Dreams and, and I love that intentionality that you have, that it not only celebrates our ura, but it's also being intentional with, being eco-friendly, right. And, and being careful with our planet and everything. So how did Dulce Dreams essentially become a reality? Was it based on your experience, uh, with sleep because Dulce Dreams is specifically like a bamboo clothing line, but, uh, for the most part your products are pajamas. And so I'm kind of curious if there's something tied in with, with sleep and overall the wellbeing of, of ourselves.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

absolutely. So it has everything to do with sleep. Um, I have a daughter, she is gonna be three years old in a few months. I. And when she was born, I mean, it was a whirlwind. As, as we know, being a mom can be overwhelming. Um, I didn't have family here. I live in Houston, and so all of our family's from South Texas, and it was a little hard for me to kind of, um, find myself and, and find ways to care for me and for the baby. Um. And also Luna had eczema. Still has eczema. And so we had to be very conscientious about what types of lotions we put on her, what types of soaps, what type of clothing. cause she could, uh, break out very easily. And so I started doing some research and I found bamboo. Bamboo could be. Uh, one of the, um, items that we could use on her safely that I knew wasn't gonna irritate her skin. But once I bought her some, I bought some for myself, I was like, okay, let's do a little matching moment. And, um, I fell in love. I fell in love with the texture. I fell in love with just everything about it. And so I started buying a lot more and just kind of. Spending a lot of money on it, if I'm being quite honest. But I, the reason why I kept buying more, especially for myself, was because I found myself, being a lot more comfortable at night. I'm a hot sleeper, and these PJs, they're breathable and so, and they're thermo regulating. So if you're a hot sleeper, it keeps you nice and cool. If you are, you like to be a little bit warmer, it kind of just makes you warmer. So it works both ways. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is, this is great. And so I started buying more into it and then I kind of. I hit a point where I'm like, wait a minute. I'm spending all this money on this one product, which I love, and I'll continue to do. But I didn't see representation of our culture, right? And I had this, this idea of like, well, what, what if I created my own line so that we could use it and also share it with the rest of the world? And so we played around with the idea, my husband and I, and we're like, you know, like we've seen the benefits at home. We've seen how well Luna sleeps in, we've seen the results on her skin. We've also seen the results on myself and how I'm able to just kind of sleep more comfortably. Um, I was also pumping at the time when she was born. Um, and so it was just really easy to like use those PJs and be able to, to have a pumping session in the middle of the night without being uncomfortable. And so we. Toyed around with the idea and eventually it just kind of very organically happened. My husband, he's fantastic, gave me the the floor and he's like, listen, if this is something you're passionate about, if this is something that you wanna do, let's do it. And so we started doing some research about. How do I even do it? Because I have never had any experience with the textile industry or fashion industry, although it's always been a passion of mine. I've never done anything with it. And so there had to be a lot of research that came with that. And so Dulce Dreams have truly. Has been a project for at least three years since the baby was born. Um, just a whole year of research and, um, trial and error really, until we were able to finalize sizing. cause that was one of our biggest pieces was sizing. We wanted to make sure that our PJs were, were comfortable, but they were also something that you could continue to use, especially for the little ones. I know price range. Bamboo typically is more expensive than, you know, something you can find elsewhere. Uh, but I wanted to make sure that I was able to support that. And it was because I am using, um, top bamboo companies that are, produce our products. I am, uh, providing you with long lasting wear. So our bamboo PJs, they're super stretchy. So let's say you buy the three to six months, they're probably gonna last you up until nine, even like. Depending on your kid, even like a year old. Um, and so you are not having to constantly buy more PJs. It also has the double zipper, which also came into play for those like sleeping times, right? When you're like in the middle of the night, you're like, oh, I gotta change the diaper. You can easily zip from the bottom up. Change that diaper, zip it back down, and then you go back to sleep. You don't have to do the buttons and all that. So yes, it came in handy when we had our baby and I was like, we have to have that in our PJs. Um, and so we, uh, were able to kind of put all of these things together in our products to give people, um, an opportunity to represent their culture, but also see the benefits of Bamboo because I feel like. Um, if you've never tried it before, you don't know what you don't know, right? And so we're slowly introducing this to our family and our friends and, you know, the rest of the world out there through social media. Um, and so I. Yeah, that's, that was a big thing. It was the sizing, it was the, all of these little pieces that I wanted to include, um, for women. Yes, yes. And so I'm really excited to share about the women part, the women PJs.'cause we have babies and we have kids and we have women's, women's eye. Wanted to give an opportunity for people to feel comfortable in their clothes and feel confident. And so we have from extra small all the way to three xl I. You can.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

That's

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yes. I was like, I wanna be inclusive. I want you to find your size and not worry about, oh, like, you know, they don't have, I can't match with my kid because they don't have my size. We have'em all. And you can mix and match the sets. So that's why we sell separates because you're not always the same size on top that you are on the bottom. And so that was something really important for me to be able to do. So we,

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

gosh. I love

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

yes. Yes.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

That's amazing. Oh my gosh, you are literally revolutionizing this. This, I think like not only are you intentional about representing our culture, but it's also you're being intentional of like, you know, just being inclusive when it comes to sizing and you're also being intentional about the planet, right? About. this piece of clothing can literally last you months, uh, specifically for

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

I hate, I just hate that my kid specifically, like when they were babies, right? Like, I hated that I had to get rid of these clothes because they were only wearing them for like two, I don't know, like 12 weeks, maybe

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

um, or less. And it breaks my heart just like. Getting rid of them. And yes, you know, we've donated and we've put them into good use eventually. But when you think about consumerism and like how are we really protecting the planet? Like, I think that it is awesome that these pajamas and these pieces of clothing can essentially last you longer than your traditional, um, way that it's always been specifically for little kids

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yes.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

So, props to you. You are doing something different here.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Thank you. Thank you.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

I see the different types of patterns and everything, as it re represents our culture. Like why do you think that representation is important to you? And specifically since you have a little one, how is it important to you now as you're raising, a child how can you explain that to specifically a mom who is looking into baby clothes, but they're between the big brand names that I'm not even gonna mention versus like, uh, dreams.

This episode is brought to you by Dreams Organic Bamboo pajamas that actually celebrate our Cultura. You know how hard it is to find sleepwear that represents who we are while also being practical for our families. I've been searching for something like this forever, and dreams finally delivers what I was looking for. These aren't just regular pajamas. They're made from organic bamboo fabric that's hypoallergenic, thermo regulating and perfect for sensitive skin. But what really got me excited is how intentional the designs are from RIA cards with floating beans, because that's how we play RIA to CE patterns that bring back childhood memories and beautiful calita print to celebrate the a Los Mus. Plus more Dulce Dreams was designed for real familias, too. double zippers for those middle of the night diaper changes. Convertible foodies that extend wear time and sizes from newborn all the way to three XL for women because inclusivity matters. As someone who's always been intentional about supporting small Latina owned businesses, I love that this brand combines cultural pride with sustainability. When we invest in companies like dreams, we're supporting businesses that create products with our famis in mind. Use my code VLM 20 for 20% off your entire purchase@shopdocedreams.com. That's S-H-O-P-D-U-L-C-E-D-R-E-A-M s.com. You can also get free shipping on orders over$75 and you can combine this free shipping using the discount code VLM 20 to get 20% off your purchase. Check them out and sleep comfortably while celebrating who you are, mama?

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

That I think that's a great question. Um, it. It was always something that my husband and I knew even before we had children that we wanted to incorporate in our parenting, and it was making sure that our child felt proud and felt she was heard and seen, and she was no different in any other child. Even more so, she was even more special because she has, you know, she's bilingual and she has two cultures that she can incorporate in her own life. So we wanted to make our brand say that to others. Say, wear this with. Knowing that you are representing yourself and your culture and that you can spread that to your children. You can, for example, we have the print, and so I know that that's a household game, and so we wanted to be able to use that and incorporated in our print so that. Maybe your child's never played that before. Maybe your child doesn't know what that is. And so you can, you can share that culture and you can share those memories, especially those memories, uh, as you, as a child playing maybe lotería at your grandma's. And so being able to share that with your child. the Lotería, print actually has, the print of the most iconic, like call cards, I guess you could say, but it has the name in Spanish and so it also serves as like, you know, let's, maybe if you're trying to incorporate Spanish more in your household, you can start off by wearing really cute PJs and kind of going through those and you know, what is this and, you know, and so, um, we, I was very intentional with that. I wanted to, to use our platform user, our PJs to. I encourage people to share our culture where their, with their little ones. Um, I realize not everybody incorporates, um, language, right? Some people feel more comfortable speaking English. Some people feel, feel more comfortable, Spanglish or Spanish. And so I wanted this to be a platform for everybody no matter what you spoke at home. Um, I wanted this to. Give you some nostalgia maybe.'cause we do have the pan dulce one. Um, our pan dulce is probably our, our top seller to be honest. Um, but it's, it brings those memories of you with maybe your mom having a little cafecito and your concha or your, you know, whatever it is that was your favorite at the time. And so we were very, very intentional with our prints because, because of that, because we wanted to make sure that our generation is able to share our memories and your proudness, for a lack of a better word, um, to your children and so that they could feel the same and start building that, um, since they're small.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

I love the print. It's just so colorful, like, so positive. Um, and it, it, like you said, it's nostalgic, you know, you literally can connect to, patterns that are shown. Like I. as a Latina, right? And as a consumer, I'm always intentional of what I buy and who I wanna support, you know? And I think that it is time to just like, us the consumers to really be intentional of what we wanna, you know, purchase of what we wanna consume. Because being that US Latinas are the largest consumer in the United

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Mm-hmm.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

We have that buying

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Mm-hmm.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

And what better way of supporting small Latina owned businesses like yours for that matter. And I think because you are creating something very unique that has never been done. Like I, I remember when I was, pregnant and I was searching for like, like culturally relevant clothing for babies. It was either. The very traditional, like embroidered like little

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Sure. Yeah.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

cute and all, but they're not

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Practical. Right.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Practical. Yeah, and I wanted something comfortable for my kids, but unfortunately I didn't find it. And now I have you, which I'm very excited. I'm definitely gonna shop around

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Absolutely.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

And get some, and even for myself too. Because again, I think it's. There's a lot of intentionality here, and what a better way to support your business.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

thank you so much.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

That you did mention, how do we say Dulce Dreams became sort of an inspiration, uh, out of your daughter, but even for yourself, like you mentioned how bamboo clothing really made you feel comfortable and, overall your quality of sleep became better. And so can you tell us, I guess we can, I don't know if there's a way to connect the two, but in general with like sleep, like. How have you essentially revolutionized even like your sleep patterns and um, and your daughter's quality of sleep as well. Can you tell us a little bit more about your story and

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah, so I've always prioritized sleep, like even before the baby, right? I've always prioritized my sleep because I am a person that if I don't get enough sleep, I am cranky. I am just not pleasant, right? And so I knew that very early on that I. Wanted to incorporate that once we had a baby as early as we could. I know the first four weeks are very, you know, you're learning both baby and you are learning and, and things are flowing and until you have your routine, and so Bamboo became part of that routine very early on. Um, we would start off with. A bath, putting on our comfortable PJs, um, the bottle. And then we did sleep training. So once we were, she was old enough to do that, and that was about, we started about four weeks, which is very, very early. Um, but eventually she transitioned over to her own bed, in her own room around five months. And so. Bamboo and, and bamboo products became like a comfort for her. And so, yes, you're not sleeping in in our bedroom anymore, but here's something to remind you that you know what? Mommy wears this. You wear this and this is gonna keep you company and Mommy's right next door. Right? And so that kind of became part of our routine. And now that she's older, we both have our own kind of routines. It's really funny because she's definitely thrived into. Like her, what we call sleep maxing moment like she, she, um, so her routine looks a little bit like we'll have, um, dinner, we'll have bath time, we'll have a little bit of TV time. She has her last milk, which is more for comfort than anything. Um, and then we'll read a book. And we'll put on our PJs and then we'll go into her, her room. And then she has like this, like self-care routine. She'll put on some lip gloss and then she'll ask for Vix. She's like a old lady. She'll like rub Vicks on her chest and put some on her nose and we'll have a little prayer. And then, um, she typically asks, like, I ask her, who do you wanna pray for tonight? Right? And she'll pick, sometimes it's her teacher, sometimes it's Pikachu, sometimes, you know. And so, but we have this little routine that works really well for us, and she's sound asleep by like 8, 8 30. We're, we're pushing it at eight 30. Um, but that's kind of how we incorporated that into, into her sleep. Just number one thing was routine. Number two was being comfortable. Um, and that goes kind of for both of us, like once she's asleep, but then I typically take a shower, um, you know, have dinner with my husband, and then we have maybe an hour or two hours to ourselves, which is honestly, it's, it's wonderful. Um, because. We don't have a lot of help here in Houston. We, like I mentioned earlier, we don't have our parents or we don't have siblings, and so we had to carve time for ourselves. As individuals, but also carve time for us as a couple. And so this one to two hours before bed for us has been wonderful. We're able to kind of have conversations that we probably wouldn't have been able to if she was still up and running, um, or wind down and watch a movie or watch a show or, you know, what doom scroll, you know, sometimes you just need, you just need time. To like unwind and, and time for yourself. And so it, it's been really, really great, um, to be able to set our routines very early on so that it can kind of continue through her childhood and hopefully even into her adulthood. Um, because it is so important to, to have good sleep.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

I love how you set that foundation from the very beginning and, and to be honest, A lot of times, like our community hesitates a lot about around like sleep training. And I had a conversation, at a previous episode with a sleep training coach and just breaking some of the myths that are behind, sleep training. And so I'm curious what kind of method you use and how did you break away from the myths that you grew up with? Or kind of like the comments, right? The unsolicited advice that we all

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Oh yeah.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Um, how did you navigate that?

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

So we used, um, and this, I am not in any way form or shape promoting this one, but we, we used Taking Cara Babies, um, and we, it was a point in, in our, like four weeks of having her at home that we were just. So sleep deprived. We had heard about this method and we were like, you know what, let's just try it. Like, let's just see what happens. Um, I will say you have to be very committed to the process, um, because it is, it can be difficult to know that your child is crying and you intentionally aren't doing anything a. Not necessarily not doing anything about it, but you're giving them space to figure it out. Right? And so that can be very difficult and it can essentially, or not essentially, but it can be extremely difficult if you've grown up in a, in a family where like the baby cries and you have to pick up the baby. And, um, so it, I had to be very intentional and I had to be like, okay. I am doing this for her, I'm doing this for me, and this is for it. It's gonna benefit everybody. At the end of the day, um, once she was fully trained, um, and she was in her own room and, you know, sleeping on her own, which was very early on as well, it was like five months. So we started doing that when we would travel to our in-laws or we would travel to our parent, like my mom. You, you got a lot of like negative maybe comments about like, why are you letting her sleep by herself or, um, it's so early because at that time she was probably asleep by like 6 50, 7 o'clock'cause she was a baby. Um, and you, I, we had to educate our family and our friends at Kay. Like, this is actually. Pretty normal. Pretty, and, and it's actually healthy, right? Um, and so it was a little hard to have these conversations with our family because typically gatherings in our culture start around six to seven.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Yeah.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

And so people would come over, they're like, where's the baby? And I'm like, yeah, she's asleep. Like, sorry. You missed her. Um, so that was a little hard to, have people understand, but now she's three. Now we've pushed it, you know, as she grew up and she needed less sleep. so She's, able to kind of hang out now, a little bit, but we still respect our routine and, and everybody does too. At, by now, everybody knows, oh, it's time for Luna to go to bed. but it was a little hard to break that cycle and break those barriers that we, we didn't even know we had until we were forced to break them. But it's worked really well for us and I encourage, if there's any mom out there that's thinking about it or you know, wants to know more, do your research. First and foremost, do what works best for you, but. Like we had this conversation offline. Put yourself first, right?

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

They're gonna cry. They're gonna get over it. Then eventually it's gonna just become part of that routine and you're gonna buy yourself a few hours for yourself and your spouse or maybe for your older children. So it's definitely beneficial. But it is hard because of our background. I think it's even harder because we are having to break those cycles. But do it, you got this.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Yes, yes. No, absolutely. And I think that as modern Latina moms right, who are in this, uh, different generation, I definitely hear a lot how, know, we oftentimes prioritize ourselves when it comes to any activity that. You know, that is during the day. But then with sleep specifically, I think we don't often, A, we don't talk about it like how much or lack of sleep we have, b, I don't think that that is usually a priority, um, unless I. You, you, you've always been intentional. You've always been intentional with sleep. So like you obviously carried that on prior to becoming a mom, which is great. But I think that oftentimes, like even for myself, like I've definitely lost that prioritization of like sleep. And so I wonder how can we put ourselves first when it comes to sleep specifically because we can, have navigated how we can put ourselves to like, you know. Um, go to the gym, right? Or how we can take care of our nutrition and all this stuff. But when it comes to sleep, which is so fundamental, um, yeah, like can you just give us, some data or any information like, and first of all, you've, you've mentioned sleep hygiene, like what is that, first of all?

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah, I, it's so funny that you bring this up'cause I was just doing some research not too long ago and the data does not lie. It, um, okay, so sleep hygiene. It, the word hygiene, you think like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, but sleep also has that, and it's just like building a routine, um, concentrating on the amount and quality of sleep that you get each night. It's very interesting to see. Women from age 35 to 44 are getting the, the least amount of sleep statistically. And if you think about it, those are the, those are the moms, right? Those are the, the middle moms, the ones that have those either toddlers to like early high schoolers, and you're out, you're doing projects at night. You have baseball, you have all of these sports, you have last minute projects, right? And so these moms are the ones that are lacking. The most sleep, but they're the ones that need it the most because you need to be energized, you need to recharge in order to be a hundred percent the next day. so kind of doing a, a self scan and seeing, okay, like, am I eating what I'm supposed to be eating? Am I drinking enough water? Why am I still for, for me? And I'll tell you that. That was another way I realized like, I, we need to maybe look into sleep training was I was drained. I, and I could, at that point I was like, I don't know that this is just the newborn stage. I think there's more to it. Um, I was moody all the time. I was tired all the time and even if I slept through the day, like when she would nap, I would nap as well. It was still not enough. And so I did a, a little bit of, of. inward look. And I was like, okay, what am I missing here? Because at that point I was trying to eat healthy'cause I was breastfeeding and I was doing all the things and it came down to sleep and it came down to the fact that I wasn't getting enough sleep and so I wasn't functioning at a, my a hundred percent that I wanted to be. I think you have to be intentional in that and, and make sure that you prioritize this one thing that maybe. In our early twenties, in our teen years, we, we could function without, or we could function with very little. But

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Right.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

now studies have shown that women need at least seven to nine hours of sleep, which is a lot.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Wow.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

A lot of sleep. Um, and so it, we just have to the word again, intentional about that because. Otherwise, if you don't put yourself first, no one else's. So you, you know, just

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Right.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

gotta look inward, gotta do the checklist. Am I eating, am I drinking it? What am I missing? And it's probably gonna be sleep.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Yeah. Yeah. And again, that's usually not the first thing that

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Not at all.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

And when you think about, I mean, sleep is really connected to our stress levels, our hormones. Like there's a lot of things that are interconnected if we don't sleep enough. And especially during those ages of like 35 to 45, like those are crucial years because that's when we go into this. New phase of like perimenopause, and that is becoming such a hot topic right now. But, if we want to at least trying to avoid some of those symptoms, it, it, it all has to fall back into like the root cause and sometimes it can be the lack of sleep that we all have. I'm glad that you, you mentioned this and, and again, it's all tied in with, you know, sleep training, right? And. How you're really taking care of yourself, how you're prioritizing on yourself, because at the end of the day, you know, I, I believe that if we wanna be present moms. We should also be taking care of

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Absolutely.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

and our sleep. And so what is, one key tip that you wanna share with our mamas here on the podcast, and especially through your experience as a nurse and an entrepreneur? A lot of times, and even for myself, and I'll be guilty with this, I feel like I don't have enough time during the day where then I sacrifice my sleep so that I can get the things. Done. being that you're a busy mom, like what is some tip or inspiration or anything that you wanna share to a mom that oftentimes does struggle to find the time during the day and, then doesn't sleep enough because of that?

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Okay, so that's a really good question that I had. I, I still to this day struggle with, um, clean cleaning the house. Right? We, again, our background. We love to clean. We love because it's, it's like a sign of like how well kept your life is. You know, if some, someone comes over and you're like, oh wow, everything's so clean, girl. No, like, prioritize yourself if you're staying up at night because you're washing dishes, because you're vacuuming, just. No one cares. Like, no one cares. Go to sleep. Get some rest. If you must wake up early, do it in the morning. But like, do not let our ingrained, um, ideology of like, your house has to be immaculate. Your house has to be cleaned. If I take this down. No. Um, it's a hot mess back there. So, you know, it, uh, this, our generation just needs to be comfortable in that needs to be comfortable in the mess that we, that we are because we we're in, in it together, and we are all raising small children. And truly, honestly, we all know our houses are not immaculate and we just need to get over it. Get over it.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Yep.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

some sleep, do it tomorrow, do it the next day. It's gonna be fine. And I still to this day, struggle with that. My husband's like, even yesterday I made a comment, like, my husband's like, oh, every two weeks you come, every two weeks. I know it's coming. I'm like, it's ingrained in our brain that our houses have to look a certain way, but prioritize you and your children in your sleep. And the house comes later.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Right, right. I'm so glad you mentioned this. I'm so glad because I. Yeah, there's a lot of things that we need to unlearn and relearn. And one of this is just one of the, the, the topics, right?

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

I,

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

affects just like our overall wellbeing. And I know that it gives us anxiety. I understand, like, know, and again, like if we have the means, we could possibly get

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

yeah.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Like that's what I did for quite

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah, absolutely.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Before, you know, quitting my nine to five, like, I, I definitely had a cleaning person and it was the best decision I've

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

And I, again, it all depends on what you wanna prioritize, right? And. that way we wouldn't like complain like, oh my gosh, I'm so tired, I'm so sleepy. I'm so grd, I'm so like, you know, I'm overstimulated. I am all of these negative things that oftentimes we feel. And that is because of the effect of not having

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah, it's all kind of coming back, you know, circle like, you know, why am I feeling like this? My house is dirty. I haven't slept. Oh, you know, it's, it all really, truly is a full circle.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Ah, yes, yes. It's such a struggle, but there are definitely ways to alleviate that and to break away from some of those generational

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yes,

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

brought up. And so, no, I'm really glad that you mentioned this. So when it comes to your business, what is one of the big challenge transitioning from just like solely nursing to now entrepreneurship, and now you're doing both. Like how, how are you doing this? Like, and again, with, this essence of sleep? I mean, I, I know that you did mention how like cleaning the house is not a big priority for you, right? I mean, not that I'm saying that. No, but like there's different priorities, right? And I totally respect that. But in terms of balancing it all, like do you have any wisdom to share to the mamás out

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Oh man, I think I'm in a unique situation because I'm a nurse and so it's only three days a week and I have, you know, all the other days of the week to kind of put my energy into this. Um, my baby does go to daycare, so I do have that extra support, so I know I'm in like a very, different position that maybe other moms don't find themselves with a nine to five, or kids that don't, don't necessarily go to daycare. but truly, honestly, if, if you're passionate about something, if you have, the courage because it does take a lot of courage to, to. Start your own business. It's scary. It really is. Um,

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

start where you start. Like it doesn't, it doesn't matter, but if you don't start, it's never gonna happen. I learned very early on that you have to knock on all of doors. Like you have to make your own path. No one's gonna do it for you. No one's gonna go out there and hold your hand and walk you through it. That's not gonna happen. And if you think that's gonna happen. It might, you might be one of those lucky ones, but for the most part, you have to, you have to start somewhere and you have to be inspired, by your own, like wants, right? Like you have to be your own inspiration and you have to go out there and, and do it yourself.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

very intentional. Again, that word, I feel like it's the word of the day.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Yeah.

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Um, you have to just be very intentional and, and put yourself out there. Like, that's how we connected. I, you know, I was just trying to find doors to knock on and I found you and I knocked on the door, and here we are, but you just, you have to. Open your own doors. And if they say no, that's the worst thing that can happen is a no. And then what happens? You move on and you knock on the next door. And if anything, it just gives you that more, much more power, that more, much more energy to continue your journey until you find that door that does open.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Mm. and I think this can definitely be applicable to things in life. Not necessarily starting your own business, it's just a matter of. Sometimes we have to push our own buttons to do

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Mm-hmm.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

this, and I know that, you know. From a cultural perspective and even societal perspective. Like I, I think women have always been told to be quiet, to comply, you know, and all this stuff. But it's like, no, like we, we have to have that empowerment to just like move forward and like you said, just like, uh, knock on every door and you never know who will welcome you. And so I think that's, that's key. So thank you for sharing

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Yeah. And so I have one last question that I ask our mommies on the show, and this is one I did not

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Yeah.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

have you prepare

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Okay.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

How are you redefining madrehood?

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Ooh. Oh. I'm making my own rules and I'm, I'm breaking those cycles. Um, I think, again, in my situation, because I don't live with family around, it's a lot easier to do that. because you don't have that person in your ear telling you, you have to do it this way, you have to do it that way. But if you can't get away and if you live next to your mom, um, just, it's a new generation. It's a new generation of moms and we have to find ourselves and we have to be empowered and. You just breaking those cycles is, is so important as, as easy as not washing dishes, right? And you have to start as little as that. And then, you know, come up with your own way of living, your own routines. What works for you, what works for your husband, not what works for your mom or your mother-in-law or your sister. It's what works for you and your family.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Oh, love it. So take this as a sign. Find something that works for you and I love it. We'll definitely end with that. But before we wrap up officially, Angela, can you share with our audience where they can find you, Dulce Dreams, any way that they can, connect

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Absolutely. So our website is shopdulcedreams.com. Um, but you can find us on Instagram, on TikTok and on Facebook. DOA Dreams Clothing is our hashtag or our, um, username for all of those sites. And because I'm a guest here and I've loved this podcast so much, I have created a promotion or a little discount for all of your listeners. Um, it's gonna be VLM20 for 20% off your entire purchase, and if you,, hit$75, you get free shipping. So you can combine that as well

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. I'll make sure to add your website, social media handles, and the discount code as well in the show notes. I could see you

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Oh, thank you.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

you grow even more. And so

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

Thank you. Thank you.

jessica_1_05-31-2025_091119:

I know it, like you said, it was like three years in the making and I'm so glad that now it's come to fruition. And I, and again, for those of you listening as Latinas, we have that buying power. And what better way to support a Latina owned business that is very intentional, going back to that word, very intentional. not just clothing, but our culture and our environment. I love how like relevant they are for us, Latinas and Latinos in, in this community. And so thank you. Thank

squadcaster-gc28_1_05-31-2025_091114:

No, thank you again for giving me the platform and the time to share our story with you guys. Thank you so much.