I, for one, know what it feels like to be sleep deprived. My daughter Erin didn’t sleep through properly until she was over 2 years old. Some nights, she woke 3 or 4 times a night, and so on average I got a maximum of 4-5 hours sleep each evening – the majority of that was before midnight! At times, I felt like I was going insane. That moment when you’re just drifting off and you hear a cry.. your heart drops!
For the first few months of Erin’s life my Mum would say to me “don’t worry Darling, she will sleep through soon”. As the months went on, I started to lose hope of it ever happening and lack of sleep became the norm. On the odd night I had a good nights sleep I would actually feel worse, it was a strange feeling!
I am now about to do it all over again, with our 2nd due in September – and will have had the luxury of at least 9 months of 8 hours plus! I should consider myself lucky for that. I am hoping second time around the sleep deprivation won’t feel so bad and my body will be used to it! Sleep is a fascinating thing.
If you’re up late at night with your little one, here are some fun facts about sleep that you may not know!
- On average, healthy adults need 7-9 hours sleep a night.
- Parents of new born babies lose around 6 months worth of sleep in the child’s first 2 years. In my case, I am not convinced that both of us lost that much, in fact, I’m not sure Mike lost much at all!!
- People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have a bigger appetite, as the level of their leptin (appetite regulating hormone) is reduced. (That explains the jelly belly… or it might be all that chocolate I keep eating – oh, and the fact I’m 5 months pregnant!).
- 2/3rds of a cat’s life is spent asleep!
- A giraffe only needs 1.9 hours sleep a day (oh to be a giraffe!!)
- Sleep deprivation will kill you before food deprivation. The average adult can go 2 months without eating, where as they can only last 11 days without sleeping. The Guinness world records no longer accept attempts to beat the world record on sleep deprivation as it is considered to be too dangerous.
- Being awake for 16 hours straight decreases your performance as if your blood alcohol level were .05% (the legal limit is .08%). When I was in labour with Erin I was awake for 42 hours straight – I must’ve been relatively pissed by then! lol 🙂
- After five nights of partial sleep deprivation, three drinks will have the same effect on your as 6 would when you have slept through!
If you are reading these fun facts about sleep now and its the middle of the night – turn off your phone! It’s time to sleep!
Sources:
http://www.factslides.com/s-Sleep/
http://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/25-facts-about-sleep/
http://www.abc.net.au/science/sleep/facts.html
