You might not know it from looking at me, but I am an athlete.
OK, you definitely wouldn't know it from looking at me -- particularly since it took me four years to get back into my pre-pregnancy jeans (a fact I am proud of, no less.) No, you wouldn't guess it, but I am in fact a champion. A pro. A freaking Goddess of the sport of Sleep Chasing.
Yes, it is a sport.
So here are seven signs that hint to the fact that you just might be a Champion Sleep Chaser, too:
- You are ruled by the clock. You diligently count night wakings and set your timer for naps, but worse still... you count down the minutes until morning, waving goodbye to chunks of 'lost sleep' as the sun has the nerve to unapologetically rise. Damn the happy birdsong.
Congratulations, Athlete Mama! You too are a Sleep Chaser! Only, here's the truth... I didn't much like the game. Don't get me wrong; I was freakishly good at it. I chased sleep for almost two years before I gave up and gave in. But I reached a point where I realized that my child's sleep is totally and utterly out of my control, as it turns out that she is, in fact, her own person (gasp.)
So I threw in my Sleep Chaser towel and handed back my trophies... and what relief retirement brought!
Now, sleep comes when it comes and goes when it goes. It's. All. Good.
Since making the decision to break up with sleep and stop chasing the Zs, my world has been much simpler... my mommy cup is topped up, so to speak. And even though I am still tired, of course, I have a new-found spring in my step because I now know how to cope with years of no sleep (and I'll even share my secrets with you, if you like.)
Sleep Moms, let's do ourselves a favor and opt for early retirement. Until then, embrace your athletic prowess and don't let anybody tell you that Sleep Chasing isn't a sport. (Because it is.)
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This post originally appeared on Mama Bean Parenting.