#teamnosleep … the team that drafts us all.
The sound of the door handle wakes me from a dead sleep. It’s really the only thing that can send my eyelids wide open. The soft patter of little feet comes next from my five-year-old, followed by little hands at the foot of my bed. He’s crawling between my husband and me. Did he have a bad dream? Is he not feeling well?
It is unclear as to why he joined us in our bed at 3 am, but he’s settled in and back sleeping, with him up against my husband, back to back, with his foot pressed into my leg. Thank goodness for king-size beds! Morning is going to come quickly as I look at the clock trying to get comfortable again.
I’m going to be honest; I love to sleep! I could make it my professional career. I’ll happily take a nap on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. And if it’s raining, forget about it— I’m never leaving my room. I remember back in my younger years sleeping well past 10 am, sometimes noon; gosh those were the glory days.
Now, I’m lucky to make it to 7:30. Somehow, our bodies adjust to the limited sleep that comes with having children. It starts on day one when some of us were in labor for many hours with little rest. Then the newborn stage kicks our butts. I mean, how did I even formulate a full sentence during those first few months? Somewhere in the haze, they trick us. Those sweet little faces finally give us a good night’s sleep with a long stretch of 6 hours, or a glorious full 8 hours! We, as parents, are like new people after a decent night of rest, and we make the mistake of thinking we’re home free.
Supposedly, the experts say we need 8 hours of sleep, my question is, are you, parents?
Just kidding, teeth starting coming in, sleep regression, a cold has taken over, you name it, and our world brings a harsh reality that sleep will never be the same again. Still, at the age of 5, an ear infection can have him wake multiple times throughout the night because of discomfort. All they want are warm snuggles, and we’re praying about how we’re going to function.
A few weeks ago, my son spiked a fever that was worrisome in the middle of the night. After giving him something to bring it down, I stayed up in our living room for over an hour to be sure the medicine was doing its trick. I don’t know how I managed to get through the next day, but it’s what I did and what all of us do during those times.
I know the reality of a full night’s rest doesn’t change as they get older. I remember my mom telling me she would finally fall asleep when she heard the garage door, meaning all her children were home and safe. One time, I felt her hands on my feet, making sure I was home because she didn’t hear me come in.
The hope to sleep better later on doesn’t seem promising; we are stuck in this perpetual cycle of exhaustion, clinging to our coffee or morning pick-me-ups. Our little ones never know how much we’re on the struggle bus, they wake up and are happy to see their parents greeting them in the morning, well-rested and ready to get the day going.
Thankfully, during the most recent night of sleep interruption, we were able to all sleep in the next morning, attempting to gain back what we had lost. Parents are collectively #teamnosleep. Those little bundles enter our world, and a good night’s rest is a thing of the past.
To all my fellow parents out there, may your coffee be strong to get you through the day, after a night of piecing together sleep.
