LONDON: Jennifer Garner says working on 'Alias' made her a good parent because it helped her realise she could function with little sleep.

Jennifer Garner thinks starring in 'Alias' helped her become a good mother.

The 37-year-old actress - who has daughters Violet, three, and eight-month-old Seraphina with husband Ben Affleck - survived on little sleep when she played CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the US TV show, which she says prepared her for family life.

She said: "'Alias' set me up in a good way for motherhood because I did run on no sleep for so long and I did push myself so hard. Everybody talked about how hard the sleep thing was with babies and I thought 'Oh, this isn't that bad! You're sleeping some!' But it's never-ending. There's never a weekend or there's never a night, that's what's harsh.

"On 'Alias' at least I had to stay in shape for my job so it was just part of my day no matter what. Now finding that hour for myself is much harder to find. I have to do it before they're awake."

Jennifer added she has turned to her mother Patricia for help raising her children as she is so full of invaluable advice.

She explained to Parade.com: "My mom always says, 'Happiness is your own responsibility.' And she always says, 'Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.' That's what she would tell us after every break up or anytime you did poorly on something. Most of our little bites of advice as kids came from either 'Little House on the Prairie' or 'Anne of Green Gables'."