How do you convince a being who is just discovering her own fingers that healthy sleep is essential to healthy brain development? How do you convince an infant that Mama can't function on -6 hours of sleep per night? I gave it a negative number because the light, fragmented sleep that I DO manage to get is hounded by dreams of not being able to get the baby to sleep... Alternatively, I dream of the most stressful job that I ever had - in these dreams, I work there again, and I can't quit. I'm in a vortex of sleeplessness, people, and I'm going down.
Knowing that I'm not alone in this phase does me no good. It just amplifies my new special 'Mommy Fear' of car accidents to know that 100% of mothers of small children are functioning in the same zombie state that I am. SOMEBODY should be in charge, and for once, I'm not demanding that it be me!
So, we've reached the crux of the post - I'm gonna need a coffee I.V., a few toothpicks to prop my eyelids open, and a new batch of songs to sing to the little one. I am sick to death of 'You Are My Sunshine' but when I open my mouth to soothe the savage beast, that's all I can remember... because I'm SLEEP DEPRIVED!
Hand me my pillow and rub my back - I need some soothing myself!
Baby Lily - let your mama SLEEP! The best advice we got from our health visitor was: put her down at night and if she cries check on her - if she is wet, change her, hungry, then feed her but whatever you do - do not talk to her. Nonverbal comfort was deemed okay but only in the: I've checked you and I am going to tuck you back in then leave again. Repeat as necessary! Love you - get some sleep if you can!
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