Sleep, My Long-lost Friend

I was just reading an article in the doctor's office about Sandra Bullock and her new baby in People magazine and was struck by how she cheerily glossed over her 3 hours of sleep and was amazed at how little sleep one needed. Ok, either she's just trying to put a positive spin on it, she's loopy from lack of Z's, she's lying about how little sleep she gets or she really hasn't hit the sleep-deprivation wall yet. I don't know any mom who doesn't feel sleep deprived, whether they have a newborn or a teen, and feels she doesn't need more than 3 hours of rest. In fact, more moms say they would choose sleep over sex if they had the chance.

With my husband's snoring, all the discomforts of pregnancy at night and a 4-year-old who has recently started the inconvenient habit of waking an hour earlier than usual, I'm longing for more sleep and dreading when things can only get worse with our baby's arrival. But no matter how much I want to feel sorry for myself or pray I was Sleeping Beauty and the prince got stuck in traffic, I'm not alone: half of American moms say they don't get enough sleep.

While nighttime sleep is no longer my buddy, naptime is my new best friend & my sanity saver lately; however, I don't know what I'm going to do when my daughter's preschool ends soon. Maybe I'll have to find a hiding place in my home to get some sleep or maybe you'll see me posting delirious rants in the near future. Either way, I can guarantee I won't be marveling about how I just don't need that much sleep.

Originally Published By Sandra K. Lee on May 25, 2010 on the New Jersey Mom's Blog.

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