Truth #29 – We wake while they sleep

“Women are more likely than men to give up sleep to care for children.”  Shocking isn’t it.

Researchers at the British company ‘Mindlab‘ did a study, as if we needed a study, confirming that women are nearly three times as likely to wake up for the purposes of caring for others, specifically their babies.  Men?  The following mind-blowing and catastrophically concerning sounds will wake them before their actual offspring in distress…

1. Car alarm
2. Howling wind
3. Buzzing fly
4. Snoring
5. Noise from drains
6. Crickets chirping
7. Sirens
8. Clock ticking
9. Drilling/workmen
10. Dripping tap

A baby crying, whimpering, singing, screaming, hell – a baby doing anything.  Not even on the list folks.

In my house, it is always me.  Some weekends I have been known to forcefully elbow my other half in an effort to kindly suggest that he might wanna take a crack at it.  The truth is though, I am waking him from a sound sleep almost every damn time.

My next thought was that this must be true only for stay-at-home moms and not for those who bring home the first-rate bacon.  Again, no such improvement in the ratio.  With these statistics confirming what we already know, what are we left with?  Acceptance.  We have to accept that nature is not our teammate in sleep.  Nature sucks.

Time for the Mother Truth.  Let’s say Daddy beats you to it.  Humor me as I know it’s tough to imagine…  It is highly unlikely that you are snoring peacefully in the other room!  Worse even, if the child fails to settle and raises the stakes with a good squeal, we are so not sleeping but rather debating on when we should get up and take over!

I know there are men out there who can prove me wrong and prove the study wrong.  There are also moms who demand an equal partnership and aren’t the slightest bit bothered by their partners handling their screaming children in the middle of the night.  Amen to you men and women.  Where do I sign up for the class?

Photos from here and here and here