One of the things that Lizze and I had to accept, very early in in our Autism parenting careers, was lack of sleep. It was probably one of the hardest to deal with as well. Over the years, my wife and I figured out that the only way to ensure that either one of us gets enough sleep, or any sleep for that matter, was to take turns.
The idea of taking turns sleeping, is a concept that can be difficult to accept, but essential to practice.
Taking turns sleeping is tough because it requires you to change the family dynamic in a way that can also make things more difficult. Rather than being a team, one person is sleeping, while the other is holding down the fort.
Lizze and I have been taking turns sleeping for many years.
Night time is a little tougher. Lizze has to take medications that makes it very difficult for her to wake up. If the kids are awake at night, it usually falls on me.
In the morning however, I will go back to bed and Lizze will take over. At some point, we’ll swap out again, and then again, if needed.
It’s the only way that I’m ensured at least some sleep.
I’m not fond of having to do this, but it’s become a necessary evil.
Do you have experience in this area? Why? How does this work out for you?
