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Straight From the Bottle

Save My Sleepless Soul

Please. Help me. S.O.S. Or whatever. Just tell me what I have to do and I'll do it. I'm exhausted. I have slept four hours total over the span of three days.

 

My child refuses to sleep. An hour here and there. And then, up at 5am. He wants to play. So I put him back to bed. I throw some toys in his crib and a few books and say goodnight. He throws his books at me. I stub my toe on the door trying to find my way back to our room. I get into bed. He starts to cry again. I put the pillow over my face. My toe's bleeding. I don't care. I get that jolty feeling in my belly when he cries. I try to ignore him. La-di-da-da-daaaaaa. But I can't.

 

"Go to sleep!" I say. "Pleaaaase."

 

I feel like I'm in prison:


Bars

 

Aspects of parenting are very similar to freelance writing. Writers are willing to write for nothing so we always have a hard time asking for a raise. Because the truth is, we'd be happy to do it all for free.  As a parent, I'm so in love with my kid that I'm willing to not sleep and get fat and be a total mess because I love him. It's hard to negotiate when chances are he's gonna win. (Ed: Do you see the connection or am I unable to make sense in my present state?) To be honest, I'm too out of it to care.

  

About a year ago, I went through the same thing. But for whatever reason I had the stamina to fight it out. Have I since aged? Become lazy? Why am I such a disaster, now?  Or maybe I was a disaster then, too. Who knows? At least I'm not putting little dude on Craigslist.

 

I'm getting dizzy. Hold on, while I sit down.

 

Okay, I'm back. Much better. More coffee. Yes. (Burp.) Now where was I...

 

Oh yeah... Save me. 

 

This isn't a post. It is a plea. I'm in desperate need of some help. Some parental advice. Some empathy. Some something. Because I feel so cold. And so alone. And so-so tired.

 

Hurry. Before. It's. Too. Late. 

 

*** 


Comments

 

Peter said:

I'm sorry I can't offer anything other than scads of sympathy... Between Lad-care and my night job, it's not unusual for me to sleep three to five hours within a 24-hour period for several days in a row.  The odd (and scary) thing is, after a while I don't feel that tired doing it.  I worry I'm harming my health and not even noticing.

February 9, 2007 2:51 AM
 

liprap said:

Hang in there.  I'm just so glad my husband is the one that doesn't need as much sleep (he didn't sleep even as a kid, to the point where his mom took him to the doctor and the doc explained to her that some kids just don't sleep.  She said, "I NEED the sleep.  How can I get the sleep?") so when the little guy does this in the middle of the night, he can deal.

Pray for another growth spurt for the Arch.  Then he'll HAVE to eat more, and snooze more.

February 9, 2007 7:44 AM
 

Tessa said:

My son is doing the same thing - waking up between 4:30 and 5:30 am. Not crying, but muttering to himself and singing the odd staccato. Some days it's a miracle I even brush my teeth. Sigh.

I live every day on the hope that this too shall pass. Though my mom-in-law warns that the boy's father never really slept as a kid. (Now he can happily sleep through the early morning wakeup. The injustice of it all.)

February 9, 2007 8:38 AM
 

halfmama said:

We went through it too with our son. It's torturous. And no, you haven't aged or become lazier — I swear it's the heavenly relief you feel when you think you are past a particularly bad stage that you never want to revisit, only to have it creep back on you. It makes it that much more tiring the second time around!

February 9, 2007 9:04 AM
 

La Rêveuse said:

There are usually places in town where you can take a kid when you're at your wit's end, no questions asked.  I have a friend that did when her son refused his medicine and couldn't go to school without.  She dropped him off, went home for a nap, and went back to get him when she could take it again.  (He never refused again.)  Designed to prevent child abuse; can be a godsend when needed.

I hope he sleeps soon.  Hang in there.

February 9, 2007 9:10 AM
 

GirlsGoneChild said:

Thank you all. Last night (after posting... I should really post about every "issue" in my life because somehow it always seems to change the course of events) Archer was up at 10:30 and miraculously, after snoozing with me for an hour, slept until 4, before getting back in bed with me and snoozing until 9:30 PEOPLE! I actually can SEE STRAIGHT today! Wooohooo!

I appreciate your sympathy. Helps to know it's normal. I kind of feel like I'm part of a sleep-deprived club, these days.

Love to all y'all.

February 9, 2007 3:42 PM
 

LushMommy said:

I totally empathize, hon.

I co-sleep with my son, and he has gotten it into himself that sitting on my stomach or hip (if I am lying on my side) then JUMPING and SLAMMING his tush while saying "Up! Down!" is hilarious. Even turning out the light doesn't work. (Why didn't God or whatever intelligent designer that's out there invent an off switch for kids that gradually sloughs off by the time they hit, say, 12 years old?) Then I have my Boston Terrier begging me to put her on the bed too.

So I just go, "Frig it. If my son's not going to sleep, I'm gonna watch TV." So he's watching Conan or some random thing on E! or The History Channel with me. I'm a single mom, and my son's father complains that I put him to bed too late, much later than what the other mommy friends he has does (which is ironic b/c he was a proud night owl when we dated). I channel SP's Cartman and say, "Whatever. I do what I want!" Then say, "Step off, wit yo' bad self!"

February 10, 2007 8:34 AM
 

jane said:

I have a 2 1/2 yr old and a nearly 7 mo. old. Because of room transitions, crib and bed transitions, an insomniac husband and a boob-lovin' baby boy I feel for you. 5 hrs. in as many nights is so painful.

Tip: Find another family with similar age children and do a trade off every week (or much more often). They take yours's for a couple hrs on a Saturday, you take their's the next week. Do it more often if feasible. Then enjoy a good 2 hr. nap at least every other week.

Or: Find someone (almost) anyone, to come into your house, when you are there to entertain the tot for the morning, afternoon and/or evening and sleep. Set up a play area as far away from your sleeping station as possible and nap nap nap. Or drink drink drink.

February 11, 2007 1:14 AM
 

Heather said:

I have not gottren more than three hours sleep at a time in three months.

THREE. MONTHS.

I feel like hot skewers are being driven into my brain. Every day.

The other day? When I was so busy I forgot to freaking eat? I think I hallucinated.

Exhaustion+Hunger=WickedTrip.

Just wanted you to know that I feel ya.

February 11, 2007 5:36 PM
 

Jackie said:

Sorry, my son is 15 so I don't remember those days.  I just wanted to say I LOVE your blog and Archer is a doll.

I have one question........ Does anyone ever tell you that you look like Demi Moore?  I wanted to know if you sound like her also.  When I'm reading your blog that is the voice in my head.

Hope you get some sleep.

February 13, 2007 11:44 AM
 

GirlsGoneChild said:

That's so funny! Thanks. I don't sound like her AT ALL! BUT, please carry on thinking so. Her voice is Rarrrrghh hot. :)

February 13, 2007 11:51 AM
 

BarbaraR said:

Know that it will pass.  IT WILL.  Mamie just went thru a two week not sleepathon, but is back to 12 hours at night.  Actually she has never done 12 hours at night.  Things change, and then change again.  Hang in.

February 13, 2007 2:28 PM

About GirlsGoneChild

Sometimes I rhyme: http://www.girlsgonechild.blogspot.com.

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About the Blogger

rebecca woolf

Rebecca Woolf in LA

Who says becoming a mom means succumbing to laser tattoo removal and moving to the suburbs? This young writer and mother of one gives it to you Straight From the Bottle.

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