Mothers know about sleep deprivation. It's truly one of the hardest, most exhausting, and sometimes utterly brutal parts of being a mother to young ones who haven't settled into their best sleep patterns. At some points, not sleeping for weeks on end can really start to test your sanity. That's what actress and country singer Jana Kramer is currently going through, and she just opened up about it in a painful and honest Instagram post.
Jana has two children with her husband Mike Caussin, Jace and Jolie Rae. Her little one, Jace, just turned 19 months and so began the dreaded 18- to 21-month sleep regression. She shared what's been going on each night in her emotional post.
"This is motherhood," she wrote next to the selfie of her emotionally distraught and tear-stained face. "Exhausted, heartstrings breaking and crying in a dark room just wanting their baby to fall asleep because you're exhausted too."
Jana's heartbreaking post continued: "I have never heard these kinds of screams from Jace and it's literally BREAKING my heart. Apparently it's the 18-21 sleep regression. (I had his ears checked and all are good now). His molars all 4 are coming in. And he throws his lovey and wubs out of the crib."
Mothers know this battle well. Sleep regressions can happen at all different times, but the 18- to 21-month regression seems to be a big one. Kids are more mobile and more aware. Usually, that means bedtime gets tough!
She went on: "I used to go back in to give him but then it became this game. I've been told not to go back in to give it to him but hearing him so upset, well has me like this. #motherhood please please mommas tell me it'll be better soon?!"
It's so easy to understand Jana's desperation. Trying to be a mother day in and day out when you're utterly exhausted is so draining. It makes you feel like you're paper-thin and about to fall apart at any second. You look forward to getting sleep each night so that you'll feel rested and be better for your kids the next day, and then it doesn't come. It's incredibly frustrating, to say the least.
Jana didn't just share the post to vent. She also wanted advice. Of course, experienced moms chimed in right away with helpful comments, saying they understood and letting Jana know that "this too shall pass."
"I've had many moments like this," wrote Jessie James Decker, who's a mother of three. "It's ok to take a moment and just cry. We all in this together ❤️❤️." Those words are so important for moms to hear through the really tough times. Thankfully, social media can help lift us up and connect to other mothers, which is especially important right now, when many moms feel more alone than ever.
Jana later shared an Instagram story and apologized for the "mom cry." But truth be told, moms don't often mind hearing about the tough stuff from other moms. Typically, it helps us all feel more normal for struggling in those really brutal moments. And struggling, like it or not, is simply part of being a parent.
Jana definitely got a lot of encouragement, which is lovely for her but also for other moms reading her post to see. We often think of celebrities as being super-human. Knowing that they also have their own low moments makes us all feel a little more connected. It helps put a bit of humanity and a lot of understanding back into social media, which is such a huge part of the world we live in.
Chances are, Jana and her husband will be getting more sleep soon. In fact, she's already said that they've had some small wins in that department. That's how kid sleep patterns tend to work. As soon as you think they're getting set in their ways, everything changes. Hopefully for her, it will be for the better.
Either way, we loved Jana's brutal honesty. It's part of what makes her so interesting to follow. She's happy and eager to share her family's beautiful moments. But she also doesn't shy away from the tough stuff. It's all important, and it's all part of being a mom.
