Exhausted

It’s 3:30 am, and here I am, dead tired and struggling to keep my eyes open. Meanwhile, my five-year-old seems to be running on an endless supply of energy, showing no signs of wanting to go to bed. I should be used to this by now, considering that I rarely get a full night’s sleep. After all, I’m the one who takes care of everything when it comes to the kids, not to mention juggling all the demands of everyday life.

I’m no stranger to exhaustion, but tonight, it feels like a cruel joke. The only thing I want is to collapse into bed and catch up on the sleep that eludes me night after night. I could easily sleep for the next 12 hours if given the chance. But here I am, trying to coax a wide-awake child into calming down and drifting off to sleep. It feels like an uphill battle, one I fight all too often.

Being a parent is a full-time job with no breaks, no vacations, and certainly no guaranteed sleep. I’m constantly on the go, always putting my kids’ needs before my own. It’s rewarding, yes, but also incredibly exhausting. Tonight, the weight of it all feels particularly heavy. The thought of getting even a few hours of uninterrupted sleep sounds like a distant dream.

I look at my little sleep resister, hoping she’ll tire out soon. Every moment she stays awake is another moment I don’t get to rest. But I know this phase won’t last forever. Eventually, she’ll grow out of these sleepless nights. Until then, I’ll keep pushing through the exhaustion, doing my best to keep everything together.

For now, all I can do is hope that she finally decides to give in to sleep, so I can catch a few precious hours of rest. And maybe, just maybe, tomorrow will bring a little more sleep and a little less exhaustion.