Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

As a brand-new mom I realized I would be faced with the dilemma of sleep deprivation. I'm one of those individuals who requires 8 hours of sleep to function properly. I've always envied those individuals who could sleep 5 or 6 hours and yet appear refreshed when they awoke. After even one or two late nights/early mornings my brain begins to fizzle and feel sluggish. Apparently it's all in my genes. Researchers recently learned that people who feel more fatigued and sleepy after a poor night sleep all tested positive for a common gene variant. (University of Maryland Medical Center, “Insomnia, Risk Factors”)

In spite of my apprehension over being able to function on less sleep and care for my child, my body managed to adapt. You see I'm sleeping less and accomplishing less, but it's worthwhile as there's a child being cared for. Sleep is not the priority, raising a daughter is.