Eva Mendes' new motherhood appreciation

Actress Eva Mendes says she feels more grateful for all of the things her own mother did for her now that she's a parent herself for six months with long-term partner Ryan Gosling and their daughter Esmeralda.

"You never know, right, something random can happen and she's just suddenly not sleeping through the night and you're like, 'Wait, I thought we were sleeping through the night, what's up. Why does it always happen at three or four in the morning'.

"Now I understand so much, my mother's never gotten more, 'I love you so much mommy' texts, I mean, randomly... I get it now," she said on TV show "Extra", reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The 41-year-old star, who met Gosling, 34, while the pair filmed "The Place Beyond The Pines" in 2011, also shared her top tip for keeping the actor happy and insists making an effort with her appearance is the key to their long-lasting relationship.

"You can't do sweatpants... ladies, number one cause of divorce in America, sweatpants, no," she said.