🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
A video showing a mother dog in the deepest of sleeps alongside her new litter is being held up as a painfully familiar example of the utter exhaustion new parents face.
Everybody needs sleep and dogs are no exception. Research published in the academic journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews found canines sleep for anywhere between 7.7 and 16 hours a day depending on their size and breed.
Yet parenthood comes with its own unique set of responsibilities. Responsibilities that require a considerable amount of sacrifice, not least when it comes to sleep.
In 2019, a study published in the scientific journal Sleep concluded that moms were hit hardest during the first three months after the birth of a first child. Researchers found women on average lost just over an hour of sleep a night compared with the amount enjoyed before pregnancy.
It stands to reason that dog moms also experience their fair share of disruption. That certainly appears to be the case for the canine featured in a video uploaded to TikTok under the handle txnnsds.
In the video, which was also posted to Instagram under the handle txnnsds, a mother pit bull can be seen sleeping deeply on her owner's couch alongside a busy litter of puppies.
The understandably exhausted dog is shown lying back, luxuriously on the couch, evidently worn out from a busy day with her babies. "Some rest. A little nap," the onscreen caption accompanying the video reads.
The video certainly struck a chord with viewers on TikTok. At the time of writing, the clip has already been watched over 8.5 million times with fans flocking to comment on the all-too-relatable scenario.
One viewer said the footage was a reminder that "motherhood is exhausting no matter who or what you are." Another wrote "Every mom gets it" with a third adding: "I'm tired with just 1 baby I can only imagine mom dogs with multiples—exhausting."
Elsewhere, one fan concurred "motherhood is hard" with a second writing: "Motherhood seems brutal on all species." A third concluded "I think all moms can relate regardless of who we are" with a fourth responding: "I can't...this how I felt after my kids."
Others, meanwhile, were full of praise for the pit bull. "Mommy naps when babies nap!" one fan commented. "Smart mommy." Another likened the dog's slumber to the kind of rest witnessed "when your parents offer to take care of the kids so you can rest." A third summed it all up perfectly, writing: "Welcome to motherhood."
Newsweek has contacted txnnsds for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
About the writer
Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter, based in London, UK. His focus is reporting on ... Read more