When you’re sleep deprived, no one cares.
In those first few bleary-eyed weeks of having a new baby in the house, I always feel compelled to tell people how many times I was up in the night with the shrieking child, how few hours of sleep I managed to snag, how my older child still isn’t sleeping through the night and also doesn’t nap in the day, and how TIRED I am.
I can always tell that the listener’s eyes are glazing over and they kind of vacantly nod their head to feign interest in my haggard state, meanwhile I can see the wheels turning in their minds about how they might best change the subject.
When you’re in the throes of little-to-no sleep, it’s all-consuming, but I have learned that you just have to kind of keep the torturous details to yourself. It’s been over four years since I’ve slept through the night. FOUR. My eldest didn’t consistently start sleeping through the night until she neared her third trying year of life, and her younger sister has always got a big, fat F-minus in the slumber department: last night she didn’t totally fall asleep until three o’clock in the morning. Add to that the fact that I’m up to pee at least four times a night and the pregnancy insomnia that makes it difficult to fall back asleep after each deceptively urgent trickle of urine, and you’ve got one tired (and grumpy) momma in the house. It’s so hard to not focus on how tired I am, but I find it’s really the only way to cope: just don’t think about it. Try to forget I’m going on three hours of sleep, order an extra large coffee, and attempt to make it through the day.
I wish the final weeks of this pregnancy could be blissful and full of restful sleep, but I don’t think it’s likely. Adding a squawking newborn to the (already exhausting) mix may very well push me over the edge, but here’s hoping we make it through. Also, it would be wise to buy stocks in Starbucks.
How did you cope with sleep deprivation? Any magic tricks or techniques you implemented that made your baby a professional sleeper? Obviously I’ll need all the help I can get!
I hear ya!!
I was SO sleep deprived.
Nap as much as you can.
Just take care of yourself…forget the laundry, the phone calls, the errands.
Just take care of yourself.
I can totally relate. I am on pregnancy number 2 and had forgotten about the pregnancy insomnia – why can’t I sleep. It is so frustrating especially when number one is actually sleeping which is still pretty intermittent. We decided to go for number 2 quite quickly because we said we aren’t sleeping anyway we may as well have another! I feel like we tried everything with number 1 (and yes, co sleeping as well) and nothing worked. I truly believe some children are just not great sleepers. It took me a long time to feel like it wasn’t always something I was doing wrong. As Julie said, one second at a time.
It’s not for everybody, but I cosleep with my girls and it means I wake up every morning feeling refreshed, despite having a two year old and a five week old. Sleep deprivation isn’t something I’ve ever had to suffer through (even when my girls were brand new) because I just roll over and nurse the little one back to sleep or give the older one a cuddle. It’s really nice, and I highly recommend it. 🙂
i’ll listen! in fact, probably every mom here will.
i think that if the powers that be realized how messed up we get during pregnancy they would try hold someone responsible for the inhumane conditions we are in. no sleep for four years, stretching body parts, screaming, wailing, no breaks for any sort of rest, vomiting, swelling, dropped arches and intense pain. yup, sounds like something i signed up for!
my LLL leader once said, take it hour by hour, and if that doesn’t work, minute by minute and yes, if that’s too much, second by second. it did work for me. by the time i realized i made it through one second and lived to tell about it the next one was easier.