My kids are asleep, but for some reason I’m up. Sure, I’ve been going since 5AM and have been on-the-move nonstop ever since, but no matter what, when my head hits the pillow in the evening, my mind starts to run. Hello, insomnia. That’s because most moms spend most of their day taking care of everyone else. Whether you’re a working mom or you’re at home with your kids, one thing is true: nighttime is your time to get stuff done.
Personally, I’ve never been a particularly good sleeper. So, the fact that I was always up all night seemed unusual. That is until I became a mom and saw email timestamps marked “2:42 am” from a favorite mom friend of mine. Then I realized I wasn’t the only sleep-deprived mother sweeping my floors at 1:00 am or catching up on my To-Do list before dawn.
You may have spent your younger years up all night in heels and a cocktail dress, times have changed. Here’s what most Moms (including me!) are doing up all night when they are battling insomnia:
1) Buying the Kid’s Stuff Online. What did moms do before the Internet? Thank you Zappos, Amazon, and Gap.com. Without you, most children would be naked and most Mothers would have about 8 hours of added errands per week. Or, per growth spurt.
2) Laundry. There’s something relaxing about folding the whites while catching up on a favorite late night talk show. It’s not glamorous, but it does have to get done. But don’t worry, even at 11PM you’ll still be missing a sock.
3) Sweeping the Floors. If you’ve got anyone under 3 living in your house, you’re probably obsessed with having clean floors. That’s because your little one spends a lot of time there. Can’t sleep? Break out the Swiffer. It’ll relax you into that beloved R.E.M. sleep you haven’t had since you had that floor-loving toddler.
4) Catching up on the DVR. At 2AM nobody wants to watch “Strawberry Shortcake” for the 12th time nor do you have to feign interest in whatever the hubs is watching. Best thing up catching up on “Scandal” at midnight? You get to hold the remote! Oh yeah.
5) Reading the Paper. Some moms complain that their babies turned their brain to mush. Truth be told, most mothers don’t get much time to catch up on the latest diplomatic crisis or local election. But a little insomnia will cure that. You’ll be well-read my midnight!
6) Making Lunchboxes For The Next Day. An awake mom is a proactive mom! Sometimes, what keeps us moms up all night is the mounting list of stuff we have to do the next day. Sometimes the key to a good night’s sleep is taking a few things off the next morning’s list. Starting with the ever-present question: what to give the kids for lunch today?
9) Helping The Big Kids With Homework. Homework is assigned to your kids, but somehow it’s Mom’s job to make sure it gets done. Truth be told, there’s something nice up helping edit that history paper or put the final piece of that Spanish Mission made from toothpicks in place.
10) Catching Up On Emails. You haven’t answered emails in weeks. That’s because new ones keep coming in. Some, you didn’t even know were there. It occasionally gets so bad that it takes a late night date with a laptop and your gmail account to clear out all out.
11) Making A To-Do List For All The Stuff You’re Going To Do Tomorrow Night. There’s clothes to order and emails to answer! Don’t sleep now, you’re too busy. ZZZZzzzz.
