I’m joking of course, it’s worse than that. Being woken up night after night and then bravely trying to function the next day, is a fate worse than death. It screws you up physically and mentally. You feel like you’ve been battered over the head with a rolling pin, like your eye-balls have been washed with white spirit and like your limbs are weighted down with a suit of armour. It makes you crave sugar, or specifically for me, Danish pastries. You don’t give two figs if you gain a couple of pounds, as you’d exchange a svelte body for a large cake at the drop of a hat. This is despite months of effort trying to squeeze in exercise around childcare and work. It makes you simply want to curl up like a slob on the sofa watching Made in Chelsea, eating chocolate spread straight out of the jar with a spoon.
I’ve been lucky for the past couple of months. Apart from pre-dawn wake up calls, the boys have been sleeping right through the night. However, this week my youngest has been shouting out in pain between the hours of 1am and 5am. It’s those pesky teeth I think (as most Mums know it could also be that he’s too hot, too cold, there’s a noise outside, he wants a drink, he wants a cuddle, he has a blocked up nose, or just because he likes it). I don’t mind attending to my little ones at night if there’s a good reason for it. Don’t get me wrong, I know they need me and I would never deny them my care, but the way this sleep disruption makes you feel after a few days is horrendous. It makes you want to sabotage all your fitness efforts and the saintly person you were previously, heads for the door, along with your work ethic and sense of style.
I have been to the gym when exhausted before, telling myself that people must do it all the time. The trouble is, the work out seems pointless. You trudge along on a treadmill watching MTV and try hard not to pass out. Surely getting a bit of shut-eye is more important than building lean muscle when you’re dog tired? Or, is it wise to try and keep that fitness level up? After all, your little ones might have many more night time shenanigans planned and you could end up seeing that muffin top creeping further and further over the top of your jeans. I’m just hoping that tonight is the night for a blissful 8 hours of shut eye, otherwise before long I’ll borrowing clothes from the Pillsbury Doughboy
I’ve been lucky for the past couple of months. Apart from pre-dawn wake up calls, the boys have been sleeping right through the night. However, this week my youngest has been shouting out in pain between the hours of 1am and 5am. It’s those pesky teeth I think (as most Mums know it could also be that he’s too hot, too cold, there’s a noise outside, he wants a drink, he wants a cuddle, he has a blocked up nose, or just because he likes it). I don’t mind attending to my little ones at night if there’s a good reason for it. Don’t get me wrong, I know they need me and I would never deny them my care, but the way this sleep disruption makes you feel after a few days is horrendous. It makes you want to sabotage all your fitness efforts and the saintly person you were previously, heads for the door, along with your work ethic and sense of style.
I have been to the gym when exhausted before, telling myself that people must do it all the time. The trouble is, the work out seems pointless. You trudge along on a treadmill watching MTV and try hard not to pass out. Surely getting a bit of shut-eye is more important than building lean muscle when you’re dog tired? Or, is it wise to try and keep that fitness level up? After all, your little ones might have many more night time shenanigans planned and you could end up seeing that muffin top creeping further and further over the top of your jeans. I’m just hoping that tonight is the night for a blissful 8 hours of shut eye, otherwise before long I’ll borrowing clothes from the Pillsbury Doughboy
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