Sleep Deprivation Training

So last night RJ had to work late, and I mean late…like until 3:30 am. I went up to the office around 9 pm to take him something to eat and I decided to stay because I felt bad for him there all by himself. Another reason I stayed was to test my ability to function on minimal sleep. Let’s be honest: My life is such that I get plenty of sleep where and when I want. I think sleep deprivation will be one of my hardest adjustments. I had a full day today so I knew I’d just have to muscle through and function on 3.5 hours of sleep. It started out ok but by about 12 I couldn’t focus real well and I couldn’t remember anything…not even the beginning of the sentence I was in the middle of and it pretty much got worse as the day wore on. However I did manage to keep a happy demeanor and smile (something that is usually hard for me if I feel like a sleepless martyr). Now I realize this was not an entirely accurate test-especially since it will not continue past today but it did boost my confidence a little. Now here’s where I need help…what do you tell yourself when you’ve gone for weeks/months on hardly any sleep? How do you manage to remember anything…or do you even care to remember anything? I see all of you out there managing to care for yourself, your families and small babies on very little sleep….how do you do it? What gems of wisdom can you share that I can remind myself of in a few months?