Sleep.... elusive sleep

Sleep, elusive sleep (sung to the tune of Food glorious food from Oliver Twist!)….

Is it worth waiting for?

It seems as if I spend all my days and nights working on sleep. Yes, I am severely sleep deprived, going on four years. Yes, I do know that getting more sleep is the key to a lot of the challenges I face everyday. But, why is it so elusive?

Adults need a total of 7-9 hours of sleep a night. This helps us recharge our bodies, minds, fight infections, stay positive, grounded, and productive, and to be ourselves. Children need much more sleep. There has been a lot of research done around sleep, and when it comes to babies and children, sleep training or teaching a baby to sleep.

We are currently of the mindset that we should do whatever works for the whole family to get a good night’s sleep. This is work in progress, and sometimes letting go of the idea that we “must sleep” or “need to get X hours every night” actually helps it happen organically.

So here’s to making little changes in our routines, letting go of the outcome, and hoping that the whole family is able to get a more restful and lasting nighttime sleep.

Going back to Oliver, with a find-and-replace of “food” with “sleep”:

What wouldn't we give for that extra bit more

Oh sleep, marvelous sleep, wonderful sleep, magical sleep, fabulous sleep, beautiful sleep... Glorious sleep!