sleep deprivation...other wise know as the living hell! there really is nothing worse!  losing sleep day in and day out, night after night, is enough to make you feel like you want to crack or maybe kill!!  i remember the feeling with both my boys when they were newborns and the memory doesn't fade.  i recently came across this article, "the case for sleep medecine," from the new york times newspaper.  it had some very interesting things to say about the sleep deprivation.  we all know that it makes us feel like crap, but this article points out some of the negatives it has on our health.  we have all been sleep deprived at one point or another whether you have had kids or not.  but, if you have had kids than you know the type of sleep deprivation i am talking about.  being woken countless times throughout the night for who knows how many months and feeling as though you are never going to have a night when you can go to sleep confident and relaxed, knowing you are going to sleep all night.  the article quotes, "sleep deprivation ratchets up the stress system, leaving you more susceptible to even relatively mild sources of strain." they performed some tests on healthy, well-rested adults after they deprived them of bits of sleep for 6 consecutive nights.  the finding are amazing! a couple being, they produced in them hormone profiles of people much older than their actual age and their growth hormone had decreased substantially.  crazy what can happen lacking just a little sleep for 6 nights.  they mention how our immune systems are compromised with lack of sleep and much more. all of these findings made me, once again, realize the importance of sleep!  i am very passionate about what i do and helping others catch their well needed zzz's.  i want people to feel better overall, and i now know that i am helping them with their health as well!  i didn't write this post to make any of you who are currently sleep deprived feel bad or guilty.  i rather wanted to bring to your attention the importance of stopping the vicious cycle.  yes, if you just brought your sleepless bundle of joy home, than of course you can't do anything too serious.  but, there are things you can do from the beginning to help you baby head in the right direction.  on the other hand if you have been sleep deprived for months, than maybe it's time to do something about it.  if lack of sleep is unhealthy for us, than it is also unhealthy for you baby.  we all need to sleep properly to have a healthy and happy life.  maybe your fussy, crabby, tantrum infused child is simply lacking sleep!  take a look at your situation and decide if you want to start making a change and start sleeping today! remember...if you want help getting your baby on a proper sleep schedule and help teaching them how to sleep on their own than contact me through my request a sleep consult link!  http://mommysecrets.squarespace.com/request-a-sleep-consult/ click here to subscribe to mommy secrets and get the latest posts hot off the press! ;)