I Haven’t Slept Since 2023: A Parent’s Story
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Quick answer: “I haven’t slept since 2023” is parent shorthand for broken nights, early mornings, phantom cries, unfinished coffee, and the feeling that a full night of sleep belongs to another era.
There was a time when eight uninterrupted hours felt ordinary. Then a baby arrived, and sleep became a collection of short appointments that could be canceled without notice.
The Confident Beginning
New parents often begin with plans. They will take shifts, follow routines, and protect each other’s rest. The strategy may help, but the baby has not signed the agreement.
The Night Shift
After enough interrupted nights, ordinary tasks become puzzles. The parent enters a room and forgets why. Coffee is reheated several times. A phone is discovered in the refrigerator or a bottle is carried into the wrong room.
Phantom Baby Cries
Even when the baby is quiet, a tired brain may interpret household noises as crying. The parent pauses, listens, checks the monitor, and discovers that the sound came from plumbing, a pet, or imagination.
The New Meaning of Sleeping In
Before children, sleeping in may have meant late morning. After a string of early wakeups, an extra hour feels like a luxury vacation.
Coffee Becomes a Supporting Character
The cup is prepared with hope, forgotten on a counter, reheated, misplaced, and eventually consumed at a temperature no one originally intended.
Why Other Parents Understand Immediately
When one parent says, “I haven’t slept in years,” another rarely asks for details. The expression communicates exhaustion, love, routine disruption, and the knowledge that the current phase will eventually change.
Persistent sleep deprivation can affect health and safety. Caregivers with concerns should seek appropriate support and professional guidance. This article is humor, not medical advice.