In preparation for becoming a new parent, I’ve been reading (among other things) The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Dr. Harvey Karp. It’s full of what seems like will be very practical advice for how to soothe a crying baby, which will come in handy on the off chance ours aren’t perfect little angels.

So, anyway, I’m reading Appendix B, “A New Parents’ Survival Guide,” in which Dr. Karp lists ten “survival tips” for new parents. There’s nothing earth-shattering (trust yourself, be flexible, etc.) but I was brought up short by this paragraph in a sidebar titled “Rest: The Essential Nutrient for New Parents:”

The extreme fatigue that goes along with being a new parent can make you feel depressed, irritable, inept, and distort your perceptions of the world like a fun-house mirror. (Some countries torture people by waking them up every time they fall asleep!)

Yeah, some countries. Like, for instance, the United States of America.