Yesterday David and I woke up feeling awful.
Jago had unusually woken up twice during the early hours at 3.30am and then again at 4.30am standing in his room, crying and disorientated having "lost his bed".
We've recently moved house and we'd also had our first date night, and therefore Jago's first bedtime with a new babysitter on the weekend, so we think he may have just been a little out-of-sorts.
But we'd barely gotten back to sleep after the first wake before he woke again. And then trying to get BACK to sleep a second time with the birds already singing meant sleep after that was disturbed and poor quality at best.
Needless to say we were well below par for Monday and maaaan did I notice it. I was snappy, I was clumsy, I was more impatient with Jago, I had less energy, I forgot important things like charging my phone before I headed out to an important appointment.
It was the most Monday-ish Monday I've had in a WHILE.
But jokes aside, long term sleep deprivation is serious and goes beyond just feeling a little cranky with your partner. Here are some of the ways we feel its impact:
Emotional
Sleep deprivation is strongly associated with feelings of depression and anxiety, making it much harder to manage the demands of parenthood with a diminished sense of well-being. Without proper and adequate rest, the "joy" of parenting is simply harder to reach.
Physical
Extended periods of sleep deprivation can result in heightened blood pressure and susceptibility to illnesses. It also disrupts our eating patterns, leading to cravings for sugary and caffeinated substances to maintain alertness.As a result, weight loss efforts often suffer which can impact our overall confidence. And libido is also affected negatively.
Relationships
Intimate relationships often bear the brunt of sleep deprivation, as we find ourselves in constant proximity with our partner without respite. Arghhh!Moreover, reduced patience and energy levels can make it harder to feel like nurturing in terms of parenting. Because we need looking after ourselves when we're operating from a place of sleep deprivation! Maintaining friendships can also become challenging as we prioritise the essentials when our energy reserves are limited.
Mental
Forgetfulness, difficulty in reasoning, and verbal clumsiness are all common symptoms of cognitive impairment induced by sleep deprivation. Simple tasks become arduous, leading to frustration and inefficiency in day-to-day tasks.In
Summary...
It's okay to need support and you are not failing by asking for help with sleep.
You don’t need to “just cope” on the bare minimum. Just because we become parents it doesn’t mean we develop an ability to exist on no sleep for prolonged periods.
Our mission is to help you unlock predictable sleep so that you have the freedom to enjoy parenting and life fully.
Let's get you out of the surviving and into the thriving!
Need more tips? Grab one of our Free Sleep Guides here.
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