Good news for parents! Turns out, if you’re suffering from the sleep deprivation that comes with having a newborn (and all its symptoms), there’s actually a novel solution! According to one X user, you just have to grow up and get over it.
Yes, folks, you heard it here first. Don’t you feel sober now?
X user Santi Ruiz shared the tweet on Monday, writing “There’s nothing wrong with sleep deprivation. Totally okay. You suck it up and that’s it. Grow up.
While Santi said he didn’t want to “stir up the parenting conversation,” it certainly had that effect. Unsurprisingly, parents were furious.
Many people point out the extreme effects sleep deprivation can have on new parents.
Other users pointed out that for many parents, sleep deprivation is not necessarily a short-term problem and can persist for months or even years with multiple children or one child who is particularly disinterested in sleep.
Users also pointed out that if the original poster thinks lack of sleep is NBD, then he may not be the parent who actually gets up on duty.
It’s worth noting that science is on the side of parents in this case: sleep is beneficial, and not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences. real Bad.
The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School (yes, sleep is so important they have an entire department dedicated to studying it!) points out a number of illnesses and safety risks associated with sleep deprivation. Specifically, they linked sleep deprivation to increases in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and mood disorders. It can also lead to decreased immune function and even lower life expectancy.
Sleep deprivation is also dangerous in our daily lives, and the Department of Sleep Medicine states that 20% of motor vehicle accidents are caused by drowsy driving – think of how many people may have tried to “suck it in” and driven while tired and caused an accident !
Yes, extreme exhaustion can lead to risky behaviors, such as shaking a baby. As this BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth study shows, a vicious cycle of crying babies and increasing parental exhaustion can lead to a higher risk of shaken baby syndrome or other forms of child abuse.
So, yes, chronically fatigued friends, trust me, feeling absolutely dead after months of sleeping on two-hour shifts is actually pretty bad for you—and you’re not being dramatic about feeling that way. This is indeed a big deal.
