April 8, 2008
Another Dirty Little Secret
I don’t talk about this much because when I talk about it, it makes it real.  But some days I just need to share it, in the hopes the burden will be lightened somewhat. Here goes:
My twin 6 year old daughters still consistently wake me up at night. And if they *do* go to bed at a reasonable hour they wake me up at 4am or some ungodly hour with their giggling and chatting.
I’ve recently befriended a new mother of twins (hers are 5 months old) and I offer her hope and encouragement and what assistance I can render. But when she asks me about sleep (when will I get some??) I can’t bear to look her in the eyes.
One cannot begin to describe the anger that occurs when one’s sleep is interrupted on a consistent basis. I am grouchy beyond belief.
Thanks for listening.
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My little guy is four. He just started sleeping through the whole night in his own bed–but not until staying up until midnight before he’ll fall asleep. For the first two years of his life I never slept more than 2 hours in a row. I felt like I was going to have a psychotic break.
So sorry you have to deal with that.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:24 amI don’t have kids that wake me up but I do have the inability to get a good nights sleep, so I can relate. Months and months on end with no more then 3 hours sleep and those 3 hours waking up every 20-30 minutes makes me an unbelievably irritated woman. How I function is beyond me. I can feel your pain. (((hugs)))
April 8th, 2008 at 11:28 amOh how I understand this. I am so sorry you deal with this.
Because the wee one did not learn to sleep through the night for almost a year, I am militant to the point of violence if her fairly decent sleep habits are slightly askew. The book that changed my life: Good Night, Sleep Tight. I forget who wrote it (because someone I loaned it to has yet to return it), but it was excellent all the same.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:13 pmAs a mother of twins myself (they’re now 9, birth order numbers Seven and Eight) I remember the desperation for uninterrupted sleep; they used to tag-team all night long when they were infants. But the giggling and chatting between siblings I got used to, so long as they (1) kept the volume down, and (2) stayed in their rooms. Now that birth order numbers One through Five are teenagers, I only wish the wee hours socializing was as subdued as when they were 6.
I enjoy your blog, by the way, and admire your honest discussions of recovery.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:31 pmYes, it is rough, sorry.
We worked out a deal and it’s been good. Now if I don’t get 6-8 it’s my own stupid fault for reading or something too late.
Hang in there and here’s hopes for sleep soon.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:03 pmThe Good Night Sleep Tight book, by Kim West, looks promising. Is your space big enough that you could give them choices such as, “You two can choose to be quiet and stay in your room together OR you can choose to be noisy enough to wake me up and then go to separate rooms (Note: just for the time that you want to continue resting, not as a permanent sort of separation).” I don’t have twins but I have observed that their togetherness is all part of the joy and challenge.
You could also have a trusted friend stay with them one night a week and you go to whoever’s place to sleep for 10 or 12 hours.
Best of luck to you and yours. Sleep for me is a serious matter of mental health so I can’t imagine doing without as you have been.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:18 pmSeems to me that two girls could have certain pertinent bits (bit) of your blog read out loud to them with appropriate dramatic tears and big Bambi eyes of I-hope-they-GET-it. They are old enough to know what they are doing to you. Don’t hold back.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:34 pmAt least they giggle. I get “Open your eyes!!! It’s MOOOOOUUUUURNIUNG” mourning indeed.
But yeah, what Mamma said. Damn kids.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:21 am