Sleep deprivation is actually insane

Nov 25·1 min read

We're at day 8 with a newborn and I genuinely cannot remember if I fed my son one hour ago or three hours ago. My wife has been up for approximately 37 hours and is losing it. Is it illegal to have a newborn? How is this legal? How are humans supposed to function on like 45 minutes of fragmented sleep a day? Does anyone have tips that aren't "sleep when the baby sleeps" because apparently I forgot how to sleep even when given the opportunity

5 comments151 views

Comments(5)

BBen L.Regular11h ago

People act like the newborn phase is magical but it's legitimately one of the hardest things humans do. You're not failing. It's just genuinely this hard.

CChad R.Regularjust now

Lmaooo 'is it illegal to have a newborn' - yes and no. It gets better. Literally. Around week 4-5 things shift and you'll both sleep 2-3 hour stretches that feel like HEAVEN.

RRyan M.New Dad2h ago

Day 8 is BRUTAL. You're both in the fog. If your wife has been up 37 hours that's actually dangerous - can she take a 4 hour block and you solo parent? Even one solid sleep chunk helps.

PPete L.Regularjust now

The fact that you can't remember if it was 1 or 3 hours ago is completely normal and also horrifying. Get a whiteboard for the wall next to the changing station. Write down EVERY feed. This isn't optional.

LLiam S.Regularjust now

37 hours is not safe. I'm not trying to be alarmist but your wife needs actual sleep or you need to call someone - parent, friend, postpartum doula, SOMEONE. Seriously.