• Home
  • Work with me / About me
  • Disclosure
  • Terms/Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Website Terms & Conditions
  • Contact

Northern Mum

Crossfitting, pancreas acting, single mum to three

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • mail

To the exhausted parent of a child with Type 1 Diabetes

Hey you,

I see you, with the coffee in hand, and the circles under your eyes.

Mind in overdrive, calculating the next insulin dose, thinking constantly about the impact of PE/excitement/pizza will have on blood sugars.

So fecking tired, but so sure that you will never sleep again.

I see you because I was you.

When we were first diagnosed with type one diabetes, and I entered the world of night blood testing, I tested every hour some nights, then every two hours when I settled into a routine.

I lived days full of stress, worry and deep concern about this incurable illness that had wreaked havoc on my family and most importantly on my child.

But I knew my path was intertwined now with exhaustion and that was my fate.

How exceptionally wrong I was.

Sleep is SO important.  This circles back round to my mantra that as Type 1 parents we have to look after ourselves, put our own oxygen mask on first and then nuture, care and love our children.

In my opinion, we are no freaking use to our kids when we are run down, empty, and broken.

This week, my daughter is sitting her mock exams, out of range blood sugars mean she has to stay in school until they settle so she can sit the exam.

She does not want this (I don’t blame her), so I reset the 2 hourly alarms, on top of our Dexcom in order to ensure she started the day in range.

Holy mother of God, yesterday I was like a pre-menstrual teenager whose boyfriend had dumped her to run off with her best friend – that was my mood.  I struggled to concentrate at work, I ached, and I longed for my bed.

How did I manage all those years?

The NHS website says:

However, the cost of all those sleepless nights is more than just bad moods and a lack of focus.

Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, coronary heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.

It’s now clear that a solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life.

Look at that for bastard irony, as a parent to a type 1 – not sleeping as caring for my child, may expose me to Type 2 – you couldn’t make this up!

So many of the women I work with tell me they don’t sleep.  They set alarms on top of alarms, they do all the night shifts, the anxiety that “something” may happen propels them forward in their insomniac journey.

The lack of sleep increases the anxiety, the anxiety starts to dominate, your ability to function diminishes.

Put simply, you need to sleep.

Because, your health is important, as is your mindset, as is you – just you.

I know it’s hard…

I really know, I am one of you after all.

But…

For me…

I put my health first, because I have three kids and I want to watch them all grow up, give me grandkids, and live their lives.

I have chosen when I need the alarms to sound, I have done a risk assessment on what that looks like for me – so I can care for all my children and myself.

I didn’t stop existing when Type 1 came into our lives, and the moment I stopped sacrificing my sleep that was the first step to being a far less anxious parent.

To becoming a better parent, a better carer and a million times more fun.

I repeat again – you are important, and you need sleep.

Find a way to get some.

Jane xxxx

 

 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Jane is a working Mum of three and has great hair. One of these things may not be true.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,801 other subscribers

Categories

  • All Posts
  • BB's journey with DDH
  • Breastfeeding
  • mummyblog
  • Paleo / Crossfitting
  • Reviews / Featured Content
  • Travel / Out and About
  • Twin Girl and Type 1 Diabetes
  • Uncategorized

Tots 100

TOTS100 - UK Parent Blogs
TOTS100

Search

Follow on Bloglovin

Follow on Bloglovin

Previously on northernmum….

Awards!

Tots100 MAD Blog Awards

Northern Mum

Copyright © 2019 Northern Mum Crossfitting, pancreas acting, single mum to three
Site design with help from DigitalJen

Copyright © 2023 · Slush Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT