I’m at the beach, enjoying the last bits of summer with my family. But don’t fret! I’ve asked one of my favorite bloggy friends, Story, to spend some time on the blog today.
Story is a teacher-turned-SAHM to an almost 1-year-old little girl. I’ve come to know Story well in the blogosphere and can relate to her on many levels, including (unfortunately) our struggles with sleep.
Without further ado, here’s Story’s letter to Sleep, which I could have written myself it is so true!
Dear Sleep,
We used to be such good friends. I might even say I loved you, and you were always always there for me.
But for the past year, we haven’t been getting along so well. Mostly, it’s how you’ve been treating my daughter. Why can’t the two of you get along? You have all these rules about when and where and how. Who could keep up? Especially not my precious Baby Girl.
And don’t even tell me it’s her fault because you know I’m going to take her side.
So, that’s why we haven’t seen each other much for the past 11 months. I would have loved to hang out with both of you, but push come to shove, I have to pick her.
Okay, and if I’m being perfectly honest here, there have been days I have picked Twitter over you. Okay, and sometimes even Conan.
But I’m ready to make amends. I’ve explained your demands to Baby Girl, and she may be starting to get it. And if you promise to be nice to us, I’ll promise to make our friendship a priority again. I’ll even cut back on the caffeine if you want me to. So, I mean, wow. You know I’m serious.
So please, dear Sleep, come back and visit us. Stay for as long as you want. You are always, always welcome here.
Love always,
Story
Do you have a love/hate relationships with sleep, too? Leave us a comment! You can also find Story at Sometimes It’s Hard and on Twitter as @story3girl.
Thanks for having me! From one sleepy mama to another, have a great vacation!
story recently posted..My open PR letter
Ah sleep . . . I so miss sleep. Actually, what I miss the most is sleeping several hours in a row . . . completely uninterrupted.
Sleep and I have always had a tension-filled relationship but it has just gotten so much worse since the kidlets arrived.
I am so sorry Sleep . . . whatever it was I did way back when to piss you off . . . I am sorry. Please come and visit me, and my kids, again . . . tonight . . . for like 8 to 12 hours . . . in a row. Thanks!
Jenn @ Fox in the City recently posted..The Speedy Arrival of One Little Miss
Sleep needs to be more forgiving. For serious. Hope you get to spend some quality time together soon.
story recently posted..Sleep and I have gone visiting
I was having the hardest time getting my little one to go to sleep. I tried “crying it out” and he would scream for HOURS and wake up at night. Then, I noticed that he was going to sleep at the same time anyway…just not when *I* had decided it was bed time. So now, we stay up and play until that time that he would fall asleep (10:30) and he’ll sleep anywhere from 10-12 hours unless some teeth are popping through. It might not be “right” but it works for us!
Same here – Sometimes I let Sebastian stay up until midnight but he always sleeps 10 hours and if I let him go to bed when he is truly ready, he doesn’t wake up during the night (except to nurse and go RIGHT back to sleep, so I barely have to wake up at all).
Bedtime routine depends on the rest of the day, time of nap and amount of stimulation. When my husband and I decided to just be flexible, we all got more sleep. Sometimes we lie down and sleep while Seb naps and other times we stay up until 4am and tough it out the next day. I guess we’re just one of those families that benefits from a LACK of routine. :)
Thank you both for chiming in. When Baby Girl was teeny tiny, that was the best strategy for us too, although it took me a long time to realize it (must let go of control….). Now though? She is a cranky mess if she’s not in bed by 7. Which would be fine if I went to bed at 7 too, but since I don’t, the 4 AM wakeup is not very welcome. Still, it’s far better than the every 2 hours that we had up until a month ago. (She’s going to be a year next month. I know Jamie has it even worse, so I won’t complain.)
story recently posted..Sleep and I have gone visiting
I think I wrote Sleep this same letter and I still haven’t heard back. How rude.
Rach (DonutsMama) recently posted..Life’s Lessons: The Super Glue Edition
Oh, isn’t it a terrible feeling! I think the lack of sleep is making me too emotional this morning. I just teared up at your post. I too am exhausted! Ugh!
Kathleen recently posted..Every Two Hours
Oh I really miss sleep to the point that I actually mourn it from time to time. I have three boys ages 8,5, and 1. I’m not sure if Sleep will ever visit me again, but I’m hopefully…or delirious, not sure which!
Hopes@Staying Afloat recently posted..Ready. Set. CRAM!