The Pressure to Sleep

When you are pregnant everyone and I mean everyone tells you what to do. The biggest to do was "sleep now". I hated hearing this because it wasn't like I gave up sleep like I did alcohol when I got pregnant. I never understood it until I had a baby. I still think it makes no sense. Sleep doesn't work like a savings account. What I think they meant and what I am telling all soon-to-be moms is when you have a good nights sleep acknowledge it. Appreciate it. Celebrate it even. Once baby is here sleep will never be the same. Let me explain.
1. You get the mom ear. Even when you do sleep you will always have one ear busy listening for the cry of your baby. We also have one of those alarms that goes off when Jack stops breathing and hearing that thing go off at 3 am is a huge adrenaline rush (now I don't panic as badly because he is always fine- those things are kind of a pain).
2. You suddenly can't sleep because of all the horrible Life Time movies you watched. Someone stealing my baby freaks my brain out. Or the house catching on fire. Or basically any thing that has ever happened on one of those movies.
3. To do list brain credit roll. I had it before baby but now that I have a baby it is much worse. My to dos actually run like movie credits in my mind. I use to could pop a Tylenol PM and go to dreamland but now I am too nervous I'll sleep too hard and not hear Jack.
4. Sleep now issue. As soon as Jack is down for the night I feel like I have to go to sleep right then because he may sleep an hour or two or four. It is a lot of pressure to go to sleep as quickly as possible.
5. Sleep when the baby sleeps pressure. Oh my husband and I butted heads on this one a lot. Still kinda do. So people say sleep when the baby sleeps.
A. If you can fall asleep quickly great for you. I just can't. It takes me at least 30 minutes to even get near sleep and my body just isn't a great napper. I could be running on almost no sleep and still not fall asleep during the day. This is especially true when you could easily be awaken any second.
B. If you slept every time the baby slept you would get little done and zero me time. Jack's naps was my time to do laundry, dishes, shower, blog, call a friend, or cook. You may have one of those amazing low maintenance babies but you might have a high needs baby who freaks out when he is put down (from day one). I told my mom he either really loves me and can't get enough or he hates me.


It is 3:45 am and Jack is up partying so I write to keep myself awake and to spread the word to soon to be moms that when you sleep well to really love and appreciate it-your sleep days are numbered!