We all know that as a parent (especially a mom), your sleep is the first thing to suffer. I was reading this article about parents losing up to two months of sleep in the first year. TWO MONTHS! I don't think I've lost that much...but I have lost enough to know how very dear sleep is to me! If Izzy wakes up, she's pretty good at going back to sleep quickly, except for these crazy 6am wake up calls lately.
To sum it up (a la copying and pasting the key parts):
1. The poll of 500 mothers and fathers showed a third lose 90 minutes sleep per night, equating to a full night's sleep every week, or 68 in a year.
2. And almost half of new parents argue over who has less sleep, with mothers claiming they lose the most.
3. A total of 42% of mothers claim they respond to their baby's night-time cries within 30 seconds, while 68% say their partner takes five minutes or longer.
4. Only 1% of women claim to be able to sleep through their baby's cries but 43% claim their partner can.
5. A fifth of parents said they were woken four times a night or more with their baby in its first month.
6. By the age of one, 38% of babies are still not sleeping through, while 15% of parents with one to two year olds are still experiencing disrupted sleep.
Sleep. That's a tough one.
What exactly is defined as a full nights sleep? because these days I get around 9-10 hours of sleep a night. I think I am in for a rude awakening (literally?) once I have kids!
ReplyDeleteInteresting facts Lindsey. Though I have to say that I am very grateful to be one of the mom's that has a one year old that sleeps through the night.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, in the first couple months there is a "sleeping through the night" that means sleeping from about 10-6. That is good when you have a three month old. Then you reach for sleeping through the night as 7-7ish. THAT is good.
I was like you. Sleeping at least 9-10 hours a night. It's hard. But, worth it too.
And I feel like I've gone into an ultra-needing a lot of sleep phase since Cole has finally picked up good sleeping habits. [Like, when he wakes up at 8am, I sometimes wake up with him.] I feel guilty...and I have a goal to wake up before him most of the time, but maybe it's what my body needs after a year and nine months of very little sleep??
ReplyDeleteIt's a miracle, I think, that your body just seems to handle very little of sleep in this first year with a new baby. It's true: it's so worth it.
Kelli, it is a miracle. Sometimes when I start to catch up on my sleep I realize just how tired my body is...it's like I kind of became immune to not getting enough sleep.
ReplyDeleteOh and Kelli, I don't think you should feel guilty.
7pm to 7am is a great night for us! A few times last week she was doing the 6am thing...
The first night home from the hospital, when you are up every hour or two for like 45 minutes at a time, I remember Kenneth waking up and saying..."how are you awake! how do you do that?" It is just instinct! There is something about being a mother of a newborn, that keeps you from sleeping through those newborn cries...Kenneth could sleep through it (kind of) but I never could . AFter you give birth, I think there is a biological change that happens...cause I am a sleeper! But, I am grateful two, that at least those days are over ...for now!
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