The Non-Sleeper Sleeps Tonight
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We all know about the torture that is sleep deprivation. Days spent simultaneously wishing for and dreading bedtime. Eyes stinging, limbs aching, vocabulary failing and tempers fraying. Eight days a week was not enough for The Beatles, but when you add in the additional hours I was up each night I was basically getting it, and I can assure you Messrs Lennon and McCartney, eight days a week actually is enough to show you care!!
’If only he’d sleep!’ I’d wail. ’I’d do anything for a few hours. Anything!’ you’d hear me cry. Hours spent
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googling, endless questioning of friends and family, health visitor appointments, osteopath visits and on and on and on.
Then suddenly, he slept. I was trying various new tricks at the time, maybe one of them worked, maybe he was just ready. There was no warning, no gradual improvement, it went from being up A LOT to sleeping for 10 hours straight, overnight. Literally.
You must feel like a new woman they all cheer! And yes, of course I’m over the moon that things have improved but … and I’m aware how ridiculous this may
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seem … there are some aspects of nocturnal living that I’m missing!
Firstly, night time feeds and cuddles are pretty much the only time I get on my own with my littlest. Our days are hectic, active and noisy. The nights are his and his alone; luckily he still gives me one snuggle a night.
Secondly, being up for hours every night was a great time to get stuff done – honestly! Here are just a few of the bed-based chores (not that, cheeky 😉 ) I have partaken in over the past 8 months; online Christmas shopping, booking
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holidays, catching up with emails, ordering supermarket deliveries. So you see, my wakey boy was actually giving me the gift of time! Something every parent needs.
In addition, those dark, quiet times were a great time to keep up to date with the news. For a while there I was pretty clued up on current affairs. Things are back normal now. I have no time during the day to watch the news on TV. The car radio has The Gruffalo on a loop and actually reading a newspaper … well … haaaahahaha!! So I’m back to looking like a clueless chump if
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anyone makes the mistake of attempting to engage me in a conversation about anything other than Bing Bunny.
Finally, those night feeds were opportunities for me to peacefully read, a rare treat for any parent. Sometimes it was whatever novel I had on the go, other times it was The Gentle Sleep book (rolls eyes at the irony), but more often than not it was Selfish Mother posts. These blogs had me silently shaking with laughter, or they brought tears to my eyes. Either way, they got me through. So thank you!
Now all I need to do
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is convince my new sleepy boy that 5am is not the morning and re-train my own body clock, because being up half the night when the baby is fast asleep really is ridiculous!
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Hannah Harris - 8 Apr 17
We all know about the torture that is sleep deprivation. Days spent simultaneously wishing for and dreading bedtime. Eyes stinging, limbs aching, vocabulary failing and tempers fraying. Eight days a week was not enough for The Beatles, but when you add in the additional hours I was up each night I was basically getting it, and I can assure you Messrs Lennon and McCartney, eight days a week actually is enough to show you care!!
‘If only he’d sleep!’ I’d wail. ‘I’d do anything for a few hours. Anything!’ you’d hear me cry. Hours spent googling, endless questioning of friends and family, health visitor appointments, osteopath visits and on and on and on.
Then suddenly, he slept. I was trying various new tricks at the time, maybe one of them worked, maybe he was just ready. There was no warning, no gradual improvement, it went from being up A LOT to sleeping for 10 hours straight, overnight. Literally.
You must feel like a new woman they all cheer! And yes, of course I’m over the moon that things have improved but … and I’m aware how ridiculous this may seem … there are some aspects of nocturnal living that I’m missing!
Firstly, night time feeds and cuddles are pretty much the only time I get on my own with my littlest. Our days are hectic, active and noisy. The nights are his and his alone; luckily he still gives me one snuggle a night.
Secondly, being up for hours every night was a great time to get stuff done – honestly! Here are just a few of the bed-based chores (not that, cheeky 😉 ) I have partaken in over the past 8 months; online Christmas shopping, booking holidays, catching up with emails, ordering supermarket deliveries. So you see, my wakey boy was actually giving me the gift of time! Something every parent needs.
In addition, those dark, quiet times were a great time to keep up to date with the news. For a while there I was pretty clued up on current affairs. Things are back normal now. I have no time during the day to watch the news on TV. The car radio has The Gruffalo on a loop and actually reading a newspaper … well … haaaahahaha!! So I’m back to looking like a clueless chump if anyone makes the mistake of attempting to engage me in a conversation about anything other than Bing Bunny.
Finally, those night feeds were opportunities for me to peacefully read, a rare treat for any parent. Sometimes it was whatever novel I had on the go, other times it was The Gentle Sleep book (rolls eyes at the irony), but more often than not it was Selfish Mother posts. These blogs had me silently shaking with laughter, or they brought tears to my eyes. Either way, they got me through. So thank you!
Now all I need to do is convince my new sleepy boy that 5am is not the morning and re-train my own body clock, because being up half the night when the baby is fast asleep really is ridiculous!
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