The other day my husband and I were arguing–you don't need to know about what, that's between him, me and the upstairs neighbors that might have heard us. I tell you about the argument because he had the audacity to try and use a nap I took against me. As if napping is a bad thing, a sign of weakness, a sign that I don't care enough about my kids or him, as in I could have been cleaning the toilet instead of napping. Okay, I may be over-reacting, but not really. I set him straight right then and there. I am sleep-deprived, my children keep me sleep deprived by waking me up at night ALL the time and getting up too early. I am in a constant state of tired and it's not good for me and it's not good for them either. He may have rolled his eyes at me because of the grandiosity of how I put it, but it turns out that I am right: losing sleep is not only bad for your health it can also be deadly. So I am doing myself and the world a favor by napping.
Why is sleep deprivation bad?
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Sleeplessness is related to problems like obesity, cardiovascular problems and memory issues. Huh! No wonder I used to have such a great memory and now that I am a tired, sleepy mother, I can't even remember if I've eaten at times. The funny thing is that I'm not even kidding.
Okay, yeah so what, doesn't sound like a killer yet. Sleep deprivation makes you deal with some issues, but how the heck does that make it deadly? Well, I'm pretty sure that obesity and cardiovascular issues have never contributed to a long life, but in the here and now being tired because of lack of sleep puts you and others in danger.
If you are operating heavy machinery like say driving a car, consider yourself and everyone around you in danger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 6,000 people are killed every year because of exhausted drivers. It's not just that you can fall asleep at the wheel, it's that your reflex time is affected as well. It's kind of sort of like driving after having one too many drinks only it's not against the law yet, but some states are considering passing legislation that would make it a crime if you injure someone while driving drowsy.
So mami, please, please remember that sleep is NOT a luxury, it is a necessity. You are not lazy or a bad parent for needing to nap or sleep. Take care of yourself and catch some much needed Zzzzs when you can.
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