Sahail AshrafSleep Deprivation
September 28th 2006 23:52
Every parent knows the meaning of the words ‘sleep deprivation’ a little too well. My eyes are only half open and the computer screen is looking just a little bit fuzzy right now. Perhaps it’s because it’s 9am on a Sunday morning and I’ve been up for four and a half hours. Yes, you’ve done the maths correctly. That’s a 4.30am wake up this morning. Can someone please tell my daughter that Sunday is meant to be a ‘day of rest’?
I was quite proud of myself for managing to get through the newborn stage of getting up thrice a night quite successfully, without going completely insane. But I was naively unprepared for being awoken by night whimpers and early, early morning wake ups. My daughter is not up with the birds, she is up BEFORE the birds. She was always one to wake early, from day one. While one mum complained the other day that her toddler woke at 7am that morning, instead of 8am, I have forgotten what it was like to sleep in that late. Try 5am I couldn’t help but reply ungraciously.
Needless to say, my attempts at a later start to the day have regrettably failed. I’ve tried: having a night light, having no night light; toys in the cot, no toys in the cot; a late meal, an early meal; a bedtime bottle, no bedtime bottle. I have come to the sad conclusion that I’m just going to have to accept the fact and realize that I’ll be going to bed at 9pm for a while yet. I guess I’ll just have to wait, hmmm, another 15 or 16 years for that sleep in. When my daughter becomes a teenager and starts sleeping ‘til noon. Or maybe I’ll get my revenge then and wake her at 5am every morning because her years of coaching have prevented me from ever being able to sleep beyond this time.
I was quite proud of myself for managing to get through the newborn stage of getting up thrice a night quite successfully, without going completely insane. But I was naively unprepared for being awoken by night whimpers and early, early morning wake ups. My daughter is not up with the birds, she is up BEFORE the birds. She was always one to wake early, from day one. While one mum complained the other day that her toddler woke at 7am that morning, instead of 8am, I have forgotten what it was like to sleep in that late. Try 5am I couldn’t help but reply ungraciously.
Needless to say, my attempts at a later start to the day have regrettably failed. I’ve tried: having a night light, having no night light; toys in the cot, no toys in the cot; a late meal, an early meal; a bedtime bottle, no bedtime bottle. I have come to the sad conclusion that I’m just going to have to accept the fact and realize that I’ll be going to bed at 9pm for a while yet. I guess I’ll just have to wait, hmmm, another 15 or 16 years for that sleep in. When my daughter becomes a teenager and starts sleeping ‘til noon. Or maybe I’ll get my revenge then and wake her at 5am every morning because her years of coaching have prevented me from ever being able to sleep beyond this time.
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Comment by Home Natural Remedies
Comment by K.L. Almeroth
Motherhood
You poor thing!!
I know what this feels like...when Miss Toddler was born, she would feed every 2 hours, all through the night...it would take me over an hour to feed, change, settle her, then I'd fall into bed, and she'd wake half hour later!
She only did this for 8 months, although by that time, I was a walking zombie...
Now she sleeps till 7am...
What time do you put your daughter to bed? Maybe this has something to do with her early rises...
Also, Gina Ford's sleeping book for babies and toddlers is great....don't know how old your little girl is though...but this goes into training them to sleep till 7am each day...
It worked for us!
K.L.
Comment by Anonymous
A.H.
Comment by Home Natural Remedies
Comment by Damo
The mother of all stress.
The killer of romance.
Destroyer of peace.
The non-evasive labotomy
Murderer of civilisation
Remover of all confidence
Exhuastion when you are already exhausted.
Know thy enemy. It is sleep deprevation.
After 5 kids I know this Daughter of Satan well.
But eventually that devil will let you go or you will caste it out.
Comment by Candice
Comment by Candice
Comment by K.L. Almeroth
Motherhood
To Candice,
Glad to hear this!
Yes, this is a special little book....they should hand them out for free, in the hospital!
Glad it has helped....
K.L.
Comment by Candice
And maybe the midwives should read the book too instead of giving dummies to newborns!