Spare time…or sleep?

February 25, 2014

Do you value spare time or sleep more?Here’s a parenting confession, of sorts. For the past two days, when Eliza has napped, I have too. A couple of broken nights and a fidgety toddler in bed with us resulted in a serious case of the lunchtime yawns. So why not? I thought. Our bed looked inviting, the pillows were plump. I could easily just get in and have a tiny rest.

Then two hours later, we both woke up.

As she’s got older I have gradually prioritised spare time over sleep when she naps, as there’s always a million things to do (the whole list of things to do during nap time I blogged about, then blogging, work, picking toys up, wasting time on Twitter, having a rest). So it felt deliciously decadent to do none of them and just nap instead.

Everyone tells you to sleep when the newborn baby sleeps, don’t they? But people rarely tell you that toddlers aren’t brilliant sleepers either, and all the early starts and wake-ups really do add up. And it can be easy to resist the lure of the nap when you have a seemingly endless ‘to-do’ list.

Both sleep and spare time are usually in short supply when you’re a parent, and both are pretty valuable to your sanity. So which do you value more as a parent – sleep or spare time?

14 Comments

  • Jem

    February 25, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    Sleep! But I can’t nap during the day – I just can’t fall asleep – so I get early nights as often as possible.

  • Katie

    February 25, 2014 at 3:05 pm

    Spare time! I am used to so little sleep now i barely notice it 🙂

  • Jess @ Along Came Cherry

    February 25, 2014 at 3:19 pm

    I’ve always tried to do things (usually watch crap and drink tea) during nap times as I find I feel worse if I sleep in the day but I’m not very good at making the most of my free time in the evenings. I end up doing nothing then going to bed early. That is the only time I have to do anything constructive though so I really need to make the most of it. It’s hard to find time to relax and get anything done! x

  • Lottie :: Oyster & Pearl

    February 25, 2014 at 3:20 pm

    Oh, goodness, I’m all for sleeping as much as possible, whenever you can! That other stuff can wait 🙂

  • The Reading Residence

    February 25, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    I always go with catching up on everything else, but I think I should sometimes nap! Though today, as I was on top of things and Little Man had an unusually long nap, I sat down and caught up on a TV show I’d v+’d before Christmas! It felt wonderfully decadent 😉

  • Lori

    February 25, 2014 at 8:42 pm

    I used to love having a nap when F went down for one but now as there always seems to be more to do, if he does go down I use this to grab some me time. A quiet cup of coffee and watching the world go by 🙂 x

  • Vicky

    February 25, 2014 at 9:17 pm

    I am literally the queen of naps – I could drop off any time, anywhere. That said, I do usually work through Daisy’s naps though – not that I’m not tempted to curl up under a blanket and drift off!

  • Rachel

    February 25, 2014 at 10:28 pm

    As Pip is at nursery 5 days a week I don’t really get nap time. At the weekend it is usually a chance to get something done, although I do frequently try and use that time to drag husband bedwards 🙂 haha x

  • Laura

    February 26, 2014 at 12:58 am

    I love to sleep but when I am busy with work that has to go by the way side which usually means I am using my free time to work which makes it not really free time at all – but that’s parenting 🙂

    Laura x

  • Ruth’s all sorts

    February 26, 2014 at 6:44 am

    I know the feeling. Bad sleeper toddler has left me very tired, but I usually use his nap time to do stuff, particularly as I’m thinking of selling some of my sewing. But some days sleep seems more productive in the long run.

  • laura redburn

    February 26, 2014 at 10:07 am

    it’s hard for me to say, as i don’t have a child, but i think i’d just try and do what felt best at the time. if i felt i REALLY needed a little nap whilst a child was sleeping i probably would, but otherwise it’s totally okay to just take a little chill out time if you don’t have lots of house stuff or other stuff to do.

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