Sleep Deprivation Stinks
I want to talk today about something that is (unfortunately) my reality right now – sleep deprivation. Definitely the hardest part about having a small baby and with multiple kids on multiple schedules.
But Out of Torture, Comes Inspiration
In the midst of my sleep-deprived delirium this past weekend, I had a revelation. There are so many ways that sleep deprivation is like being on a diet. Let me count the ways.
- You obsess over what you can’t have.
Most of the time, I can’t think about anything but sleep. It’s obviously not intentional – I’d love to move on and focus on other things. But, it’s my brain’s way of telling me that it needs something that I’m not giving it.
Just like when being on a diet. We have all seen cartoons when a character is hungry and envisions everyone as some sort of cooked bird.
This is consistent with the Minnesota Starvation Experiment from the 1940’s, designed to better understand how to help those whose food supply or intake had been affected by the war.
Per the American Psychological Association, “Hunger made the men obsessed with food. They would dream and fantasize about food, read and talk about food and savor the two meals a day they were given.”
There are even notes that the men would collect recipes, even though none of them were ever cooking.
People with eating disorders who restrict food also have a preoccupation with food. Those suffering with anorexia think about food not only all day, every day, but they also often dream of food. Those with bulimia might think about it a bit less, but still around 70-80% of the day.
- Once you give in, you go too far.
If given unrestricted access to sleep, there is a good chance I would sleep for a good 17 and a half hours, like Mr. Incredible in Incredibles 2.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Elastigirl (Mr. Incredible’s wife) goes to work out of town to help advocate for superheroes. In the meantime, Mr. Incredible is left with three kids – one being baby Jack-Jack. As time goes on, you can see Mr. Incredible becoming progressively exhausted. Finally, he leaves the baby with a sitter overnight and proceeds to sleep for 17 and a half hours.
Ahhh *cue the sitcom day dreaming music.*
If you’re on a diet, you’ll probably say no to Oreos or whatever food or foods is “off limits” – until you can’t anymore. Then the common thought is, “well, I ate one, I might as well eat them all! After all, this will be the last time I ever have xyz.” And then the cycle repeats. This is known as the restrict-binge cycle. In fact, a lot of research has suggested that overeating is a direct result of undereating. (I’ve done some other videos on this, called Food as a Movie Rental & Get While the Getting’s Good.)
- Anger/irritability/jealousy both in general, but especially if anyone talks about the thing in front of you.
As a sleep deprived mom, nothing irritates me more than when people tell me they are so tired. Is that fair? Maybe not. Is the other person legitimately tired? Quite possibly. Am I in a state of mind to empathize? Not really.
I’m sure many people have it harder than I do. Just because I’m tired doesn’t mean that no one else is tired. It doesn’t mean their sleep deprivation doesn’t matter.
I also don’t want to hear about how great you slept last night, unless you’re one of my kids. I get jealous when I tuck my five-year old in bed and know that she is expected to get a full night’s sleep snuggled under her comforter.
But that is what happens with deprivation. It clouds your judgement and reactions. Nothing matters except you, in this one facet of life. Same if you’re on a diet. It’s hard to consistently restrict food when we are bombarded with images of literally every type of food imaginable all day long.
Even radio is no escape as marketers will describe foods to you. If you’re dieting and people talk about the great steak dinner they had last night with mashed potatoes that were to-die-for, you might want to pop them one. Plus, fuses are shorter in general because your brain isn’t at its full potential.
How’s This for a Visual?
This clip from “Mickey and the Beanstalk” gives a glimpse at all three of these through Donald, when they are living through a famine. That’s what you brain thinks a diet is – a famine! No wonder food is always on the brain! If you’re thinking about it, you’ll seek it out!