There are some things you're better off not knowing. And the number of hours of sleep you've lost since you became a parent is right at the top of that list.
Having children means losing sleep. First, it's all those nights of waking up to a crying infant, later it's having children climbing into our bed because they're scared or just need a cuddle. Half the country seems to have sick children in their house at the moment. Then there are the nights spent lying awake wondering where your teens are, whether they're safe and when they're coming home.
If you think it's hard enough just surviving all those nights, UK interior brand company Hillarys have created a Lost Sleep Calculator, which is programmed to add up all your hours of lost sleep, based on the age of your children. Just so you can put a number on your exhaustion.
What purpose does it serve exactly? We're all tired, right? Does it matter whether I'm a thousand or two hours tireder than you?
Of course not, but I'm still trying to work out whether I'm proud or horrified that since my first child was born nearly 13 years ago, I've lost 9990 hours of sleep. Hillarys are then kind enough to convert that into 416 days, or 14 months.
Thanks Hillarys.
You can calculate your hours of lost sleep too, by entering your children's ages into the calculator on their website.
The calculator is based on extensive research done by Hillarys. It also works out how many nappies you've changed, how many bedtime books you've read and how many lullabies you've sung (all on average, of course).
It's enough to make an exhausted mum of three need a long lie down.