A recent study has found that new parents will not get good sleep for up to six years after the birth of a child.
Six years.
SIX YEARS!?!?!
Me - Well, thankfully that just means we only have four more years left to get through.
Also me - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{Continues crying in corner}
But seriously, I'm not surprised by the results of the study, though I am surprised that the average loss is generally only represented in minutes. Maybe its just our two, but they seem to have a surprising knack for keeping us off guard. I swear, they plot against us. They know how to tag team to make sure that we can never rest, never get comfortable, never quite be convinced we've addressed the issue. They know exactly when to wake us up so that we never quite hit that blissful REM sleep. You know that good deep sleep that makes you feel rejuvenated. They catch us and then just keep us right in that half awake state, necessitating a jumpy and caffeine jittery day after.
Before Jude was born, we were told that the switch from one to two kids was no big deal. That the bigger deal was two to three. After all, you have two hands, there are two of you, it's easy to divide and conquer.
We were lied to.
We were just getting to the point where sleep was not a chore with Avalyn. Where there was a bit of a routine. Where we could tell her to lay down and monitor her and have her go to sleep.
That all went out the window when he arrived. She regressed, she wanted our attention, she wanted to be near us like he was. And of course he demanded our attention.
We're just now getting to where Jude can understand and can somewhat follow direction to go lay down. If we could just conquer their FOMO - fear of missing out - to reassure them they don't need to be awake at all times that we are awake.
I feel we've failed our children in teaching them an appreciation of sleep and what a blessing it is to our lives and to their lives. To society in general.
How much value it has and how it can enrich their lives.
We haven't taught them to be thankful for good sleep. To seek it out and desire it. To nurture it. To truly enjoy it.
If we could, then maybe, just maybe, they might let their parents enjoy their own sleep and rest peacefully.
We can hope.
Children are a blessing.
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