The Different Levels of "Tired"

This one was started back in mid-June.


This past week's lack of sleep has left me tired. It also left me thinking of the different levels of "tired." Any parent out there can probably relate to this...


Growing up I would always complain about waking up early and having to get to school (I loved school, just not the waking up part). Throughout the day, my friends and I would complain, "I'm sooo tired! I was up so late last night!" Back then, "so late" probably meant 10:00. That kind of tired is barely anything. On a tired scale of 0-10, that would have been a -5.


In college, I would pull all-nighters. I was tired, but could still function. On the tired scale, this would have been a 6.


Then, I became a parent. Not just a parent though, a nursing mother. In my opinion, you don't know tired until you've have been up multiple times a night with an infant literally sucking life out of you! (Note: I love my children and they are worth every sleepless night and middle-of-the-night nursing session I ever had! But, it literally does suck the life out of you!) On the same 1 to 10 scale, this is about a 20.


Being tired when you are a parent is a whole different ball game. There is no chance to sleep in, take a nap, or go to bed early; there is just more and more tired. 


When I was pregnant with my oldest, people told me "sleep when the baby sleeps." It's great advice, really, because in the beginning, your body is recovering and you need that rest. I didn't follow that advice. I took that time to do things that I couldn't do while she was awake. I learned my lesson - or so I thought. When I was pregnant with my second, I told myself "sleep when the baby sleeps." But, again, I took that time to get laundry and cleaning done. Would I have still been tired? Yes! Would I have found time to get those other things done? Yes! But, it was a little bit of time that I had in my day when I could just be with myself and my thoughts. That, I can't do when I'm sleeping.


Somehow, some day, I know that I will catch up on sleep, but for now, bring on the tired because it means I am there for my children when I need them and that I do everything I can to provide clean clothes, meals, and decent home to live in!