Stay in the know! Enter your email address and we'll stay in touch.

WHAT ARE THE TOP ISSUES?

Stop Playing Midnight Chicken




Nobody wins this game -- you know, the late night battle of wills where each parent pretends to be asleep and blissfully unaware of the screaming down the hall -- in the hopes that their other half will get up and tend to the crying baby. Who can blame you for trying to fake it? You're both exhausted and you both need to sleep. Sleep deprivation can turn the sanest of women into bottle-wielding shrews, reduce grown men to tears, and cause both of you to turn marital molehills into mountains. Don't underestimate the impact that sleep deprivation can have on your relationship. Your ability to deal with everyday stresses and your partner's formerly-endearing quirks gets dangerously low when you're trying to get by on a wing and a prayer and a thirty-minute nap.

Save yourselves! Someone should be sleeping! End the late-night shenanigans by working as a team. Split up the night (for example, Dad does feedings until midnight, Mom goes to bed early and gets up after that) so that both of you get a solid block of sleep. Occasionally, take turns doing all-night baby duty and give your partner the ultimate gift - an entire uninterrupted 8 hours of shut-eye. One well-rested parent is better than two barely-functioning zombies. Finally, prioritize sleep above all else. Resist the urge to do the laundry, check emails, vaccum etc., and put your head down while the baby is sleeping. Housework can wait, preserving your health and sanity can't.