When I really stop to think about how long it has been since I have had a full night’s sleep, it gets overwhelming. Honestly? I can’t remember how long it has been. The answer isn’t simply 6 months, 1 week and 2 days, because, let’s be honest, sleeping gets much harder the further into pregnancy you get. All I do know is that it has been at least half a year since I slept through the night – probably (certainly) longer.
It really is a miracle how a body just adapts to motherhood. I don’t know if it is the sleepless pregnant nights or the hours upon hours of labour that shocks a mother’s body into adapting to numerous wake-ups a night.
Before I got pregnant, I didn’t know how I would handle getting up in the middle of the night with a baby. I was a sound sleeper and I needed my sleep. As soon as my baby was in my arms, I somehow found the ability to wake up and take care of the baby and still manage to function during the day.
… Until this week.
All of a sudden, all of the months of restless nights caught up with me. I have been so tired. So. Unbelievably. Tired. Dangerously tired.
On Monday I went for a drive and almost made two critical driving mistakes. I missed a red light, but was turning right and no one was coming so it wasn’t obvious. I also almost managed to turn the wrong way onto oncoming traffic until I realized and quickly turned the other way.
My sleep deprivation had gotten to such a state that I was an impaired driver with a baby in the backseat.
I am certainly looking forward to the nights when I finally will get a full night sleep. For now, I’m calling a time out. There has gotta be a pause button my baby right?
I bet that third tooth that has already popped through and the fourth one that is coming is going to be some cute though.
I totally understand. I have recently started "sleeping when the baby sleeps" again, because Lizzy has hit some sort of sleep regression and is up most of the nights now. At this point, the house/dinner/anything else can wait–I need to sleep!
I haven't had a decent night's sleep in 3 years! (aside from the handfull of times that I can get both kids out of the house for the night, which is very very uncommon). I've found myself putting the baby gate up so that they are confined to the living room lately just so I can crash for a few minutes on the sofa haha. I usually wake up to one or both of them in my face going for my eyelids tho haha.
It's hilarious how you can get up at night however many times yet forget the next morning how many times and even when you actually got up. I remember so many times just walking in like a zombie and feeding her and then going back to bed but not remembering the next morning. Crazy.