One of the hardest things about being a parent is the sleep deprivation

Like we get it – babies do not come with a guarantee of sleep. In fact they pretty much come with the opposite. Some babies sleep better than others families can differ greatly on the way in which they approach the topic. But no matter what the reality is that sleep deprivation is hard. You prepare yourself mentally and emotionally but sometimes those long nights can take you by surprise. The tiredness that makes you feel depressed and makes the worst feel a little bit darker. Sometimes we will do just about anything to grab a nugget of sleep somewhere. Other times we will do anything to make ourselves stay awake.
Recognise any of these examples?
  • Letting our children nap for much longer than they should. Deep down we know that this will make bed-time much more difficult. We know that it will probably lead to a broken night of sleep even worse than the night before. But we willingly let it happen. We simply need a short term solution to this exhaustion. It might just be this extra twenty minutes of closing our eyes or that second cup of coffee with our feet up. We'll deal with the consequences later.
  • Drive our children to sleep. This one is a lot more popular than you might think. Many parents will put their children in to the car to send them off to sleep. This might involve a short drive around the block or a scenic drive to the next town. It's worth it because the end result is sleep of some sort. It might be the only sure way of getting them off to sleep at a decent time.
  • Use the hover, hair-dryer or any household item that will create this famous white noise that so many people promise will lead to sleep for your babies. This in turn leads to sleep for you.
  • Rock, bounce, dance or do a handstand if it means your child will nod off. The sound affects may lead your nosy neighbours to think that your life is a lot more exciting than it is....
  • Memorise every squeak and creek in your babies room. You may have finally gotten them off to sleep but you now have to escape the room without facing the wrath of a waking baby. It may take you ten minutes to actually leave the room but the tiptoeing and holding your breath are totally worth it.
  • Spend a fortune on black out curtains (the new ones promise to be blacker and you are not one to argue) and sleep aids. Sleep deprivation is an expensive game.
  • Say no to the much desired coffee you are being offered. You need it to stay awake but deep down you refuse to let anything rob you of immediate sleep the moment your baby allows it. Caffeine might delay an already complex process.
  • Treat “night duty” as an Olympic sport with your partner. You've agreed to take it in turns but if your partner forgets it is their “shift” you are liable to ask for a divorce (!)
Written by Tracey, mummy blogger and staff writer at www.familyfriendlyhq.ie.
Check out her own blog at www.loveofliving.blogspot.ie

 
 

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