Becoming a dad destroyed my sleep schedule and I'll never get it back | DadHQ

Becoming a dad destroyed my sleep schedule and I'll never get it back

Aug 51 min read

Pre-kids I needed 8 hours minimum or I was useless. Now I run on like 5-6 and somehow I function. My body just adapted I guess. Problem is even when the kids sleep through the night I still wake up at 4 AM anxious about something stupid. Miss being able to sleep till 9 on weekends but honestly I don't think my brain lets me anymore. Anyone else have their sleep permanently wired different after having kids?

7 comments157 views

Comments(7)

FFelix R.RegularAug 7

I'm convinced parents develop a different kind of tired that doesn't require the same amount of sleep. Like your body just figures it out because it has to. Or maybe we're all just running on adrenaline and denial.

BBrandonRegularAug 7

Tell me about it. Some nights I think I actually forgot what 8 hours feels like. Might've been a fever dream.

CChristopherNew DadAug 5

Dude, I'm only 3 months in and I'm already accepting that 5-6 hours is just my life now. The encouraging thing is hearing from guys like you that you actually function okay on it. Makes me feel less crazy about these 2am feeds.

JJakeNew DadAug 5

Wait until you have multiple kids on different schedules. I'm constantly running to some practice or game so my sleep is just fragmented chaos at this point. But yeah, you adapt or you don't survive, right?

PPete S.RegularAug 5

Man, I felt this in my soul. Four kids in and I'm still waiting for my body to remember what 8 hours feels like. The weird part is now when I DO get a full night, I wake up feeling more tired somehow. Your body just gets rewired.

VVincentRegularAug 5

Coffee wasn't enough for me so I added a second pot around 2pm. The sleep thing is wild though. You start functioning on fumes and then you just never go back to normal.

SSteveRegularAug 6

Same. I think my body just adapted. Now on my nights with the kids I get maybe 4 hours and I'm still standing. Before kids if I got less than 7 I was complaining for days.