Commited to Sleep

Greetings to you! I am amazed that you have stuck with me in my time of … blog AFK. I do wish I was able to update you more then I did. The Spawn is very funny. It would have been great to document at least some of the struggles and funnies this last year. I have a moment so I am going to reflect on one thing I learned.

“Sleep when the baby sleeps.”

You hear this all the time. You must commit to the idea. COMMIT TO IT.

Baby sleeps you sleep.

No dishes. No kitchen cleaning. No bottles. No laundry. No vacuuming. No phone calls. No Warcraft. No anything.

You slap your head on the pillow and rest.

No email. No bills. No thank you cards. No blog writing.

Turn off your brain anyway you know how and sleep. The baby may only sleep for one hour and if you can stare at the ceiling for that time at least your body will rest. But maybe if you do it enough you can train your body to sleep.

Now some will say that is just not realistic. Things have to get done. Who is going to do it??

Need to let it go. Sleep.

I know it is hard. You will read everywhere people telling you the same thing. But you have to be committed to the idea and realize your rest is more important than those dishes sitting in the sink.

Sleep for your own sanity.

When you are doing the safety procedures on an airplane they tell you. “First put on your own oxygen mask, then help children or anyone else.” This is a safety procedure. Your sleep should be considered in the same way.

I remember (vaguely) the first week after giving birth. Husband figured out a three hour rotation for us to get sleep. I wish I remember it all. He pretty much gave himself 6 hours of sleep. I would then sleep 2-3 hours he would wake me to feed the baby (breastfeeding) then I would go back to sleep for 2-3 hours. Then I would get up and he would go asleep for 3 hours. Next I would sleep for 2-3 hours. Rotate as needed.

I was so grateful for him those first 72 hours. He figured a schedule out and everyone got sleep in. Even after that we worked house stuff in too.

Make sleep a priority.

When I went to visit my parents. I handed over The Spawn and passed out on a spare bed. I mean really... I was not who they wanted to see. So why should I sit and socialize when sleep was way more important.

Celebrate what sleep you do get.

A nurse told me that a new born is classified as “Sleeping through the night” when they sleep 4-5 hours through. Hold that moment when it happens. At about two months The Spawn started doing that. I was thrilled! I cannot tell you how less tired that made me to know there was a chance I would get 8 hours of sleep eventually.

Commit to the idea and know that your health and the babies health will be better for your commitment.

… then there is showering.