As a parent with narcolepsy, I am constantly balancing taking care of myself and caring for others, and rarely have enough energy and time to do both…
Parents are always tired, right? We are constantly walking around on the brink of sleep deprivation, especially when babies are young. If there is something mothers can bond over, it is their constant lack of sleep and wondering when their babies will finally sleep through the night.
So much about parenting, motherhood and raising kids revolves around sleep or the lack thereof. Parents live for and dream of sleep.
Imagine constantly feeling like you have gone without sleep for 48 hours. Your body aches in a futile attempt to get you to slow down. Your brain is in a chronic fog, and it’s hard to complete thoughts, much less sentences when you speak. Your mind seems to be operating in slow motion.
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The restful sleep you so long for eludes you. Once you lay your head on the pillow, your mind starts to race, or sound bites from earlier in the day play in a constant loop. It can be a song lyric, a technical term, fancy words or simply someone’s name playing on repeat.
Finally, you fall asleep, but now the dreams… or are you still awake? The line between asleep and awake is blurred – and very subjective. There is no such thing as “sweet dreams” in your vocabulary. There are hallucinations and nightmares, on a good night.
That’s a brief description of what it feels like to have narcolepsy.
Parenting with a chronic condition is no easy task. As a parent with narcolepsy, I am constantly balancing taking care of myself and caring for others, and rarely have enough energy and time to do both…
Continue reading my article: “4 Ways Narcolepsy Has Made Me a Better Parent” featured on THE MIGHTY!
I am always honored to contribute to THE MIGHTY‘s incredible website that offers love, support and encouragement for people affected by medical conditions.
