Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sleep Deprivation

It's funny how much sleep, and lack thereof, can affect a person. Take me for example. Gavin is six weeks old, seven weeks this Friday. I've estimated that since he was born nearly seven weeks ago, I have gotten no more than five hours of sleep at a time, and that's on a good night. Lately with the ear infections he's been battling, it's been more like 3 hours of sleep at a time. And let me tell you, it's wearing on me.

In high school and college, I was able to get little sleep and still function fine during the day. But those days are long gone. Now that I'm the big 3-0, I seem to need more sleep than ever and I'm just not getting it. I've even tried going to bed earlier since I tend to be such a night owl. I would prefer to stay up at least until midnight, but last night ten o'clock hit and I was out! Unfortunately, Gavin woke a few hours later and after taking care of him I was so wide awake I just laid there thinking about the very subject I'm writing about, how important it is to get our sleep!

These days the sleep deprivation is definitely taking a toll, and it's apparent in more ways than one. I've missed not one, not two, but THREE appointments because I just can't remember anything anymore. I write the appointments on the calendar, but then
forget to look at the calendar. And I'm constantly misplacing things around the house and finding them in the strangest places, like the hairbrush I found in the refrigerator. Last I knew, hairbrushes did not require refrigeration. Oh and then there was the time that I...wait, what was I saying? I need sleep!

With the exception of Gabe, my other two children slept through the night, I'm talking 8 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, by five weeks old. We're now nearing seven weeks and it's like Gavin is still thinking he needs to be on a newborn sleep schedule.

But all this aside, I know this stage in life is just as fleeting as any. And even though the lack of sleep isn't pretty for my functionality or my face, I am still cherishing every moment. Minus a few bouts of crying {from me, not Gavin} as he wakes in the night, the majority of the late night wake-ups are spent with me gazing at my little guy and marveling at God's creation. How blessed I am, even in my sleeplessness. How awesome it is to hold a little baby that God has entrusted me with and think that he's mine, on loan from God. He's mine to mold, and to help grow and to help equip with the knowledge he'll need to get through this life that can be so hard. He's mine.

I pray that God will help me to remember that my sleeplessness is fleeting, but the blessing of Gavin will last a lifetime and beyond!

{Oh, and in conclusion, I hope this post makes sense. Please excuse any errors, random thoughts or run on sentences. After all, as the post explains, I am lacking some much needed rest.}

8 comments:

Valerie and Jeff said...

Oh sleep is SO important! I can remember especially with Brayden waking up thinking, NOT again! He was against sleep for some reason. Easton got up once a night until he was 9 months old ... but I cherished having OUR time together, so I probably could have nipped it in the bud earlier (oops.) And Nolan, we had a night-time routine of listening to Christian radio while he nursed himself to sleep. You are so right though ... these moments are so fleeting and before you know it Gavin will be sleeping along with the rest of them or running off to a friend's house to play! But in the mean time try to laugh at the hairbrushes in the fridge and the misplaced memory. It will return!

Tara Anderson said...

I remember the sleep deprived "newborn" days all too well...or I guess I should say, I have some groggy memories of them! :) I'm proud of you for being amazed by your blessings, and not just count the ONE thing you aren't getting. This season will pass...all too soon...and you'll be sleeping soundly again before you know it! In the meantime, just hang in there...as long as you don't actually COOK the hairbrushes you pull out of the fridge, I think you'll be okay!

Anonymous said...

Hi Angie! I laughed at your post. It's so true... no sleep + new baby = retarded mom. AFter each baby I seriously needed a personal assistant to tell me what I was supposed to be doing... and when! Thankfully, babies are so dang darling, you can't help but be happy holding them and kissing their soft little heads... while you're supposed to be somewhere else, but you can't remember. :o) This too shall pass. Keep blogging, it's the only memory you'll have of these days!
~Linda

Anonymous said...

I so remember those days. Well maybe not so much, I remember I couldn't remember :)
Is Gavin sleeping in your room? I know the night we put the girls in their own rooms they started sleeping thru the night. One little sound out of them and I'd snatch 'em up before they started crying. Who knew babies were such noisy sleepers?
And BTW your face looks great ;) sleep deprived or not!

Fuel said...

Shawna...funny you ask if Gavin is in our room. Why yes, he is. Cause we've run out of rooms in our basement, and the upstairs is gutted waiting to be started. But, we're finishing the outside before we start on the inside again, so yeah, we're out of bedrooms for now. I know that's a big part of why he's not sleeping so good. I do hear him every single time he moves and whimpers and snatch him up right away. If he wasn't in our room, he'd probably fuss a little and go right back to sleep. So, the pressure is on to work on the inside of our house, and soon I hope :) Oh, the joys of renovation!

Oh, and thanks for saying my face looks great, but you maybe need to take a second look and notice the dark circles under my eyes, lol. But you're a good friend for saying otherwise :)

Fuel said...

Ahhh...and I'm still signed up under Jason's ministry blog, Fuel, so that's why it says that instead of The Sanders Family. Oops! Anyway, check out his sight too!

juliemk said...

Hey Ang! O.k. so I'm impressed that you waited until 10 to go to bed. On Sunday night I was so crazy tired that I went to bed at 8:30, and I'm not crazy sleep deprived with 3 kids and a newborn (just overworked and overwhelmed. :-) Hope that little Gavin begins sleeping longer for you soon! Got your message yesterday, so good to hear your voice! Miss you bunches! Hope we get to chat soon! Loved your blog!

Anonymous said...

Good luck! Thing Two didn't sleep through the night until well after he was one year old. And I was up with him every time. So I can relate!