Nap time for mommy?

I must have heard it a million times if I have heard it once, “sleep when the baby sleeps.” This is the most common advice I hear when I am pregnant or when people see I have a newborn. Every time I turn around someone is telling me to sleep when the baby sleeps. As wonderful as the idea of mid-day napping sounds, it does not always work out.

When my baby is sleeping, my toddler is usually awake and requiring supervision and attention. When my toddler is napping, my baby is usually awake and needing to be fed, changed, and soothed. On those rare occasions when both children are sleeping I am usually swamped with a list of things to do around that house that are difficult to do with children under foot. Priorities… I know.

During my toddlers nap time I am usually doing household chores such as sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming the house. Chores that are difficult to do with William running around trying to steal my broom or mop or screaming at the top of his lungs and crying when the vacuum is running.

There is a lot to do during the day and not enough time to get everything done. Nap time is a precious commodity in my house. It is the only time during the day that I am able to get a little rest and relaxation, and it is usually spent restoring some semblance order to my chaotic home, working out with my Mom’s Into Fitness DVD, or Blogging. Only if I am truly exhausted am I willing to take a nap mid-day. This ability to nap is based solely on whether my children are cooperating enough to be napping at the same time.

Yesterday was just that kind of a day. We had a play date yesterday at a friend’s home. The kids made a ruckus running around the house. Kids being kids. Then we all went outside and played in the pool. After a long sleepless night and a morning spent in the sun, I was ready and willing to trade my R&R for some much needed Zzz’s.

Best trade ever! It is simply amazing what a simple nap can do. I woke up refreshed and ready to take on whatever my kids and husband could throw at me. I was superwoman, minus the spandex. I mean really, spandex?!?  I was firing on all cylinders, enthusiastically ready and willing to play whatever my kids wanted to play. Enthusiasm for playtime had been lacking lately.

I had gotten used to running off of little to no sleep. Although I am still able to function when I am extremely tired, I am a lot nicer to be around once I have had some sleep. At least, my toddler seems to think so. His favorite thing to tell me right now is “nice” or “not nice, mommy!”

I think I might be willing to part with my precious me time a little more often in order to play catch-up on some much needed sleep.

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