Am I just a wimp? Sleep deprivation and how much is too much

Oh... the guilt

I've been noticing a rather sad pattern to the emails I've received lately. A whole lot of them, before getting into the actual sleep problem to be discussed, start off with something to the effect of: "Maybe I'm just a wimp, but…" or "I realize most moms can cope with 4 hours of sleep but…" or "I know it could be a lot worst but I'm just not the type of person who can go on [enter pitiful small number of hours of sleep]…" Basically, a lot of you are feeling like you SHOULD be able to go on being seriously sleep deprived for months on end without complaining, feeling exhausted, or wanting to just check out of this  mothering gig. Many of you are also feeling like everyone ELSE is coping so much better with the exhaustion than you are. I've already posted my perspective on how important it is for parents to consider their own health and well-being in general, and sleep needs in particular. I thought I'd bolster my argument with a few links that might drive the point home for those of you who are still struggling with the idea that sleep is for the weak.

  • First off, you are SO not alone. More than half of all American women feel they'd be better parents if they got more sleep.

  • This article is one of hundreds out there summarizing the poor outcomes related to sleep deprivation:  "Poor sleep can weaken the immune system and affect concentration,
    functioning and judgment. It causes changes in appetite and sexual
    interest. Studies have found that people who sleep six hours or less a
    night have an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and
    stroke… poor sleep may actually [cause] depression, mood and anxiety disorders"

  • As if we needed a study to confirm… "Sleep loss leads to emotionally irrational behavior" according to this study (summarized here because I can't link to free access of journal article). 

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