As my children have got older, we’ve more or less reclaimed our evenings and the small hours of the night now serve only for sound sleep. But not too long ago it was a very different story and the memories of those long, dark soul destroying nights etched their name in my very being forever! My eldest barely slept a full night until he was 10 months old and was sporadic for the next year, and youngest son had colic and milk intolerance which led to many a pain-filled night so I have served my time and felt the full force of lack of sleep first hand.
Those memories kick back in hard on the odd occasion I’m woken by one of the children needing to get up to go to the toilet, feeling thirsty or if they simply need a cuddle. I’m in momentary parental panic mode once more at the thought of losing my zzzz’s! Sleepy confusion grips me and it feels like I’m back in the zone where an hours sleep felt like a gift from God. Thankfully, these moments pass quickly now and with the midnight snuggle done and little ones both tucked back up in bed, normality is quickly restored and slumber resumes.
Not so for zillions of nightwalkers all around the world, pounding the carpet with tiny bundles bawling their eyes out with colic/reflux/hyperactivity/allergy to sleep wondering when (or if!) relief will ever come. Or attempting the ‘rapid return’ method for the 100th time with a feisty toddler who just refuses to stay in their own bed. How about stroking the hair of a snuffly, bunged up baby for hours on end who just cant catch a break for a fitful sleep no matter what? Worse still, the curse of the cough hits you like a truck when your child ends up throwing up due to incessant, unmanageable hacking, always magnified tenfold in the wee small hours. Probably the most frustrating moment possible is when your child FINALLY – THANK YOU GOD – settles after hours of rocking, stroking, soothing, you gently as a feather place them back in bed and you can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, when their eyes snap back open at the loss of their snuggly cocoon and then the vicious circle begins all over again.
At toddler group this week, I spoke to probably a dozen or so mums and more than half of them were lamenting being trapped in the grip of ‘mothers ruin’. Capable, sassy, multitasking women, kicking the ass of motherhood on a daily basis, but being slowly strangled by the stresses brought on by sleep deprivation!It’s well known that it is a proven form of torture but what have us parents done to deserve it? Obviously parenting doesn’t end at 7pm but Jeez, 24 hours straight TLC is enough to challenge the strongest of resolves!
Did we really sign up for this? Why are nights so long? Why do men (sorry guys!) in the main, sleep heavier and hear less of our children’s nocturnal needs than us girls? When will it go away???? Will it actually go away? What if we never sleep through again? Does my baby not love me? Am I an awful mum/human being?
I have no magic wand, no fail-safe advice as every home has its own nocturnal challenges and they all have a plethora of possible remedies. We all know about bedtime routines, massage, cranial osteopaths, sleep manuals etc etc. Time is the best solution as everything ends sometime, so one day, slumber will inevitably come to you, I can promise that at least.
I wish for you all the gift of silence and peace in the twilight tonight, because I know from experience that one shift of 8 straight hours sleep can have the effect of a spa day, a girlie night in and a milestone birthday, all rolled into one.
Give a girl a night’s sleep and she can conquer the world!
As I’m writing this, Dominic has a temperature and has had me up and down the stairs all night soothing him (not a problem, it’s my job!) but as the hours pass, I know I’m in for a long shift tonight…wish me luck!
How do you handle the night time shift? Lets share the strain and offer up some solutions!
http://i0.wp.com/i129.photobucket.com/albums/p238/loobielis/twinkly_tuesday_badge_2015.jpg?w=740
12 Comments
Suze - Luxury Columnist
Men certainly do seem to be capable of sleeping a lot sounder than women and to drop off to sleep a lot quicker!
Ginger Mum
Yes! I think it’s in their DNA!
Honest Mum
Urgh scary when you see it in a diagram but makes total sense, I’m a nightmare without sleep (the irony) and sleep really lightly at the best of times and my eldest is just like me x
Ginger Mum
I know, too graphic 🙂 And you have Xander trying to get in on the act too! Sleep is my fave thing apart from wine and shopping!
Emma
Yes, why is it that the men never seem to wake up. Hmmm. Think you must be right that it is in their DNA. A brilliant post and completely agree with you that the sleep deprivation wipes out the best of us! I am someone who needs a good nights sleep and now even when my little ones are sleeping better I find that I still wake up a multitude of times during the night! And then struggle to get up in the morning.
I hope Dominic is feeling better and that you managed to get some sleep. I find that taking a daytime nap is sometimes the only answer. #twinklytuesday
Ginger Mum
Wish I could sleep in the day, my mind is always too active! Yes, all calm here again, woohoo!
Katie/Squirmy Popple
My 7-month-old only recently started sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time, so I spent MONTHS in a sleep-deprived haze. I usually slept in her room, mostly with her in the bed. Things are gradually starting to improve – she slept a whole 4 hours in a row last night, and it felt awesome. #TheBabyFormula
Ginger Mum
Ooooh, long may that continue! Fingers crossed for you all!
Rebecca Smith
I’ve been having trouble this week with Jack as he has been poorly, I wish I could get a nap in the day when he’s at school but I just do not have the time 🙁
Ginger Mum
Its so hard to juggle when your brain is too tired to engage anymore, isnt it? Hope tonight treats you both well lovely. x
New Mummy Blog
Sleep is a wishful thing, I really do wonder how hubby sleeps so soundly, usually nudging me out of bed with me getting closer and closer to the edge. Sometimes I get back after soothing Baby H and I can hardly get in! It drives me mad! That diagram is quite something and does make sense, I just take solace from the fact I know most other mummy’s are in the same position!! That knowledge helps no end 🙂
Thanks for linking up and hope you can next week too #TheBabyFormula
tymnzuz
势柜は面柜へ烦祸ˇ沸貉で毁辩を鲁け≈泣塑碍蒜步∽蜡忽で泣塑沸貉の煎挛步を微で茶忽して丸たのだ。 Win10配布から2ヶ月以上が過ぎ、Win10へ変えた時の問題点なども少し情報が流れてきています。 [url=http://streettherapyinteractive.com/wp-content/60411/office2013_1/index.html]office2013 価格[/url]
使用可能な移行のタプの研究を行っています。 次にWEBカメラを使いたいパソコン側でも「DroidCam」をインストールします。
[url=http://winnerpp.com.hk/wp-content/60418/windows7_1/index.html]windows7 os[/url] 未だに世間ずれしているワンマン経営者が、この田舎には多過ぎ。 」ユメル「（リヴ、私、ララの固定でストーリーを進めている所からしても、充分ララもお気に入りキャラだよ。
[url=http://streettherapyinteractive.com/wp-content/60411/office2013_1/index.html]Office Professional[/url]
・・・・とは言ったものの、ベテランズ・トゥデイの記者もだんだん不安になってきたようです。 文字で読ませてウナらせるには、 ここにあるネタを使った方がいいですよ。 [url=http://svs.com.sg/wp-content/60418/acrobat1/index.html]Adobe Acrobat 11[/url]
早速、セガ公式アカウントから「りんなさん、これ知ってる？」とセガ最後の家庭用ゲーム機「ドリームキャスト」の写真付きリプライを飛ばされると、「くそわろたｗ知らんｗｗ」と自由気ままなJKっぷりを披露している。 交換できるこの手の電池でこの大きさは初めて見ます。
[url=http://yoncevre.com/wp-content/60418/win_server_1/index.html]windows server os[/url] このセンサーによって瞬時に購買者の顔を認識し性別と年代を判断して、季節や時間に応じ…HD0:27 次に再生今すぐ再生 （株）デンソーウェーブの自動認識機器（ライト電業オリジナル展示会2007より） – 長さ: 0:27。 8-7-5. 回転を回転する追加したクリップアートや画像を回転することができます以下の操作を行います。
[url=http://stroydan.com/wp-content/60418/office2010_1/index.html]office2010 価格[/url]