Does anyone else get legitimately triggered when their child doesn’t go to sleep?

Question

I’m sure this has to do with childhood trauma or whatever but I don’t remember. I get legit triggered when my kids don’t take a nap or won’t go to bed easily. I start feeling this hot bubbly feeling and get so angry that I feel like my whole body is on fire. I have to actually step away because I feel so much rage. Why does this trigger me so badly? Does anyone else feel like this?
(My kids are 2 and 4)

Answer

Yes, I do too. I think it’s what another commenter said, I know that my kid needs to rest and I need a break too. I know that of they don’t get a good nap or sleep at night then they will crying and fussy all day. So, if they don’t go down easily or they wake up early it is very upsetting to me as I know what is coming later. It’s nice to know other moms also feel this way. I’ve always felt very alone in this feeling. Like no one else gets upset when their kids don’t sleep well. Thank you for posting this and helping me to not feel so alone.

Answer

Yes I get angry when my 2 year old toddler doesn’t nap during the day because I know she’ll be super Whiney for the rest of the day and then fall asleep at 5pm meaning she wakes up fresh when it’s her actual bedtime. Plus I have loads of things to do during the usual 2 hour nap and if she doesn’t nap… the stuff doesn’t get done 😫

Answer

You're definitely not alone, I have a really hard time with my toddler not settling for bed or nap in have to consciously make myself take deep breaths and sometimes walk away. I'ts been like this since she was very small, I don't do lack of sleep well.

Answer

No, but I feel like this too a lot when my almost 4 year old won't go to sleep. It's mostly when I'm physically exhausted or sick, but a lot of times cause I KNOW that if they don't sleep they are going to be extremely cranky and throw constant tantrums

Answer

Yes, i do. And I have a very similar physical reaction. My reaction is caused by a trauma response. I know for sure that the anxiety I feel is from a place of knowing we both need this rest and that we’ll both be so off balance if we don’t have it. I have had to do some serious work to get past this and it still triggers me. But the important thing is identifying that and beginning to work on it

Answer

this doesn’t sound normal at all, I can understand getting a little frustrated, but this needs to be talked about with a therapist.

Answer

I wonder if your parents were strict about bedtime. Or got really angry when you (or a sibling) didn’t go to bed on time. I’ve found that’s often what triggers me—when my kids do something that my dad would lose his shit over when I was a kid.

Answer

I wouldn’t say I get mad, but my anxiety definitely picks up which can make more short tempered. Like I know it’s gonna be a total shit show if they don’t take a nap and quite honestly it’s going to ruin the day. At night when they don’t go down, it’s more so the frustration that I am not able to eat my dinner when it’s ready, or that it’s delaying my time to be alone/time I spend with my husband.

Answer

I wouldn’t say I feel rage but I definitely get mad or irritated. If they don’t take a nap I know the rest of the day is going to be a cranky shit show! I’ll be cranky because I had no break and she’ll be cranky because she had no sleep!

Answer

Does it happen every time or only when youre exhausted? Were your parents very harsh with bedtime?

Does anyone else get legitimately triggered when their child doesn’t go to sleep?

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