Mom Films Herself Sleeping, Discovers Why She’s Always Tired

Regardless of what the NEST cam video revealed, there was one thing that Darnell wasn’t going to change—her priorities as a parent. It was important for her to be a good mom to her kids both at night and during the day because she knew that parenting doesn’t end when the sun goes down.

Screenshot from “Why Moms Wake Up Tired | Brutally Honest Overnight Time-Lapse” Fitmomma/YouTube

“You have two nighttime parenting goals (1) get sufficient rest yourself and (2) meet the nutritional and emotional needs of your child. It’s a tough balance,” Darnell explained.

Going Viral

Darnell was mind blown by her time-lapse video and she felt that the rest of the world needed to see it. So, she shared her sleepless night in the YouTube video titled “Why Moms Wake Up Tired | Brutally Honest Overnight Time-Lapse”.

Screenshot from “Why Moms Wake Up Tired | Brutally Honest Overnight Time-Lapse” Fitmomma/YouTube

In just 24 hours, the two-minute video received 800,000 views and 1,800 comments. It has gone on to get over nine million views! So why did millions of people have to watch it?

Harsh Reality

There was nothing inherently terrifying about Darnell’s video, but it became a viral sensation because it captured the harsh reality that many moms can relate to. In the video, Darnell’s twisting and turning in her bed while her kids disturb her sleep. Of course, Darnell knew that she wasn’t the only mom to struggle with this issue.

Screenshot from “Why Moms Wake Up Tired | Brutally Honest Overnight Time-Lapse” Fitmomma/YouTube

“Rather than feeling isolated and exhausted, we can feel connected to the other tired mothers that are also awake,” Darnell wrote.

Tossing and Turning

Darnell’s video starts with the influencer slipping into bed on her own at 10:00 p.m. and bringing her 10-month-old son Milo to bed at 11:20 pm. As the video progresses, they toss and turn in the bed. However, Darnell doesn’t seem to mind the disruption.

Screenshot from “Why Moms Wake Up Tired | Brutally Honest Overnight Time-Lapse” Fitmomma/YouTube

“In those quiet, dark hours, the lack of distraction can actually [be] quite calming and refreshing. Baby’s needs tend to be simple: to be held and fed,” she explained in the Instagram caption of her viral video.

Nighttime Warriors

However, Milo wasn’t the only child to join her in bed on that sleepless night. Her two-year-old daughter Olive wandered into the bedroom at 1:00 a.m. after crying in her room and waking up her mom.

Screenshot from “Why Moms Wake Up Tired | Brutally Honest Overnight Time-Lapse” Fitmomma/YouTube

In the video, Darnell did her best to take care of both of the kids and hold them in her arms. It didn’t take long to calm Olive down and by 1:30, she went to tuck her back into bed. And after, she came back to tend to Milo. But did the mom end up going back to sleep?