Reality T.V. - and me

I'm not saying that I'm proud of this necessarily, but there are a couple of reality tv shows that make me quite happy.  And they're not the big blockbusters like American Idol or The Biggest Loser, I've never even seen an episode of The Bachelor or The Amazing Race.  I'm more of a sucker for the big family ones, the old Jon and Kate Plus 8, and 19 Kids and Counting.

I really, really like them.  Like, a lot.  Seriously.

This drives hubby crazy, he says the last thing he wants to hear once his own kids are in bed is another family's children crying and bawling.  I can see his point...
But what really draws me to these shows is that I can relate to them.  No, I may not have a baseball team number of children, just two for me, thanks.  But, these shows tend to focus on how difficult, or at least, how different it is for these families to do regular everyday things. 

And while these families don't have the same challenges I have, it is nice to see somewhere else, a relfection of having to gear up for activities of daily living.  They have to prep to take their families out to dinner.  They have to think long and hard about going on a road trip.  That's what I relate to. 

Moreso, large families, or families with strong religious beliefs, like the Duggars, are a subculture, just as autism families are.  So I can relate to that too.

So the next time one of these shows are on, and you wonder to yourself, 'who watches this stuff?'  The answer is me.

Counting Sheep and Losing Sleep

Please, please, please, please tell me that there's a sleep solution I don't know about.  If only there were some magical solution to our sleep crisis, I would jump up and down right now, even though I'm operating on just 2.5 hours sleep from last night, somehow, I would get the energy.

And yes, we know all about melatonin.    And no, it hasn't solved our problems.  Helped, yes, but solved, no.

Predictable bedtime routine?  check.  Nice calming bath prior to bed?  check.  Blanket prewarmed in the dryer before tucking in?  Hot water bottle in bed prior to bedtime?  Calming white noise of a running fan?  check, check and check.

At this tender age, I really don't know a sensible way to handle this lack of sleep.  He's too young to be let to wander the house in the wee hours of the night while we try to catch some zzzzzzzs, so his lack of sleep transfers into our loss of sleep as well.  Hence my cry for help.

Is there some secret trick I haven't tried yet?