Sleepless in bed

Just had a new baby - can't get any sleep? The sound of a crying baby when it's not "your shift" can totally ruin getting any sleep. A few more radical solutions from the combined wisdom of dads around the world include:

* taking sleepers (not recommended)
* ear plugs (OK but can be quite painful to wear them for extended periods)
* sleeping in a different room / house altogether (works but might be a hassle / uncomfortable)

Phantom Cry Syndrome

Spend enough time taking care of children and it becomes an inescapable part of your psyche. It makes it way into your dreams in sometimes overt, sometimes subtle ways. Last month I dreamed that Clara was trying to get Kate to swim in a pond where a shark was swimming. I'm no psychoanalyst but I think such dreams show I have some pretty deep fears about the safety of my children. Even when your children are at school or you have a babysitter you are not free from what I have found is the most common form of parental paranoia: Phantom Cry Syndrome. Randomly, out of nowhere, you will hear your child's cry.