My youngest (7.5 months) has decided that sleep is not his main priority at the moment. It may be teething, it may be motor skill development, who know? The point is that sleep for Science Mom has become a limiting resource.
Now, I am in a job where I am paid to think. I like this, because I like to think, and I think I generally do it quite well. But let me tell you, it is hard to think when one is chronically sleep deprived! So I’ve been beating myself up of late because my mind just isn’t as sharp as I would like it to be, and as a result production has slowed slightly.
Then, while trawling blogs a few evenings ago I came across this comment over at Academic Jungle
“My most hard-to-get-a-hold-of colleagues are men with grown children. I am way more responsive to the demands of a collaboration than them even in the most pukey, sleepy, heartburny, or postpartum stupid state …”
Hmmmm, this is true for me too! When I had morning sickness, when I was 35 weeks and ready to pop, and now when I am in a sleepy stupor, sure, I slow down, but I still come to work, meet with colleagues, comment on manuscripts, respond to emails, plan experiments, analyze data, coordinate a lit club etc. My point here is NOT to demonize male colleagues with grown (or no) children. I’ve seen them, they are harried; they are juggling multiple balls; they have too much on their plates. I can give them compassion. But then I must give myself compassion too.
1 comment:
I remember the six month sleep deprivation mark very well. Its amazing that at 12 months much of the sleep returns. Hang in there you're doing great.
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