So I’m going to start going to a group for parents in grad school. I think it will be really helpful to talk about some of the challenges that are unique to parenting in this bubble we are in. In the course of the Intake interview with the psychologist who runs the group, she suggested it might be a good idea to actually see a psychologist on my own for awhile too. So I finally made the call to the referral I got a year ago… In the course of THAT intake appointment words relating to sleep were used more than any others. I knew I was tired, but until I was talking about the various stresses in my life I truly hadn’t put together how disruptive the lack of sleep had become.
A quick recap: fall 2010 get pregnant – at some point sleep gets bad; July 2011 newborn – sleep sucks and continues sucking through reverse cycling and overnight waking until October 2013 when Simon is finally sleeping a 10 hour night consistently; October 2013 20 weeks pregnant – can’t sleep; February 2014 newborn – sleep sucks; winter 2015 super sick kids; fall 2015 Caleb is mostly sleeping 10-11 hours at night I am waking multiple times at every little sound…
I haven’t slept well in years, and it’s getting to me. We’ve determined that the sleep is likely both a symptom and an underlying cause of my high stress levels and ability to focus. Soooo, the beginnings of sleep therapy, which is really just good sleep habits because starting small. I have to retrain myself how to sleep: bedtime 11pm, no screens at least an hour before bed, if I don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes get up and do something then back to bed, wake up at 6:15 and actually get out of bed.
I thought the no screens would be the hardest part, but I’ve been knitting to podcasts and it’s actually been the getting up part that’s difficult. A week in and I do feel a little more rested.
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We are getting rid of screens for the boys, and I find that not only are they exhausted at bedtime, but I am, too, from keeping them entertained! I hope it leads to better sleep for all of us! And I hope you start getting some good sleep too.
This sounds super familiar. SLEEP! It’s a bitch. I hope this new routine helps. I know that I should really try something similar.
My husband and I always watch a show together before we go to bed, but I know the screen time means worse sleep for us both. It’s just our only quiet quality time together in the day, and I don’t want to give it up. Ugh. I suppose I could at least get my cell phone out of the room, but what’s the point if the TV is on, right? 😉
It’s funny you wrote this today because I was going to suggest podcasts to Josh tonight to get us into better sleep habits. A screen right until bedtime is destroying my already terrible sleep schedule.
Hope you get back on track soon.