From sleeping through the night to being a 4am zombie

1d ago1 min read

Man I miss sleep so much. Used to be that guy who slept 8 hours no problem. Now with a newborn and a toddler I'm running on like 4-5 hours broken up into chunks. I forget why I walked into rooms. My brain feels like soup. People keep saying it gets better but when? Also I look like a totally different person in the mirror, like who is that tired guy with grey hair. What's everyone else's timeline on this getting better?

9 comments142 views

Comments(9)

RRobertRegular8h ago

Welcome to the club. I'm like 6 weeks in and I'm pretty sure I'm losing my mind. Do you have any stretches of sleep yet or is it still just chaos?

CChrisNew Dadjust now

I used to be able to function on 5 hours. Now with a newborn and a 3 year old I'm lucky if I get 4 straight hours and I feel like I'm falling apart. My wife and I have been trading nights when we can but it's still brutal.

JJason T.Regular3m ago

You're describing my entire last year. The adjustment from being that 8 hour sleep guy to running on fumes is real. My advice? Lower your expectations for everything else. Your job, your house, your appearance - none of it matters compared to getting whatever sleep you can.

JJosh M.Regular5h ago

The 4am zombie life is real. I remember thinking 'how hard can a newborn be' before we had our daughter. Now I'm running on fumes and cold coffee most days. Does it get better? Please tell me it gets better.

RRick M.Regular9h ago

I miss 8 hour sleeps like they were a person. Used to take them totally for granted. The good news is eventually they sleep through the night again. The bad news is you might be too tired to enjoy it.

CChris T.Regular5h ago

Man I feel this so deeply. The sleep deprivation is no joke. With my two boys I was basically a ghost for the first year. The good news is it does eventually get better, but yeah those 4am moments feel like they last forever when you're in the middle of them.

BBrad K.New Dad1d ago

The 4am zombie phase is real. Hang in there man, it gets better. I'm running on coffee and spite most days but my oldest slept through last week so there's hope.

RReggie T.Regular1d ago

Four to five hours broken up sounds brutal. I feel you on this one. The co-parenting schedule actually helps me catch sleep on my off weeks but I know that's not everyone's reality.

BBrett M.New Dad23h ago

The 4am thing is brutal. My wife and I have been tag-teaming but even that doesn't help when you just can't fall back asleep. How old is your newborn?