This beautifully honest time-lapse of sleepless nights shows why mums are so tired

At first glance, Melanie Darnell – also known by her Instagram handle, @fitmomma4three – seems to have a perfect life.

The vegan mother-of-three uses her social media platform to share recipes, fitness videos and loved-up family photos, but earlier this month she duct-taped a camera to her bedroom ceiling in order to create a ‘brutally honest’ video of her sleep schedule.

Entitled ‘Why Moms Wake Up Tired’, the short clip speeds through footage of her sleepless evening.

Darnell explains in the caption that her husband is away on business; meanwhile, her 2-year-old has an ear infection and her 10-month-old baby still isn’t sleeping through the night.

Sporadic timestamps show that Darnell is woken up on numerous occasions by her kids as they toss and turn throughout the night.

Cries interrupt her sleep frequently, with Darnell continually responding by rocking, cuddling and comforting her restless children.

It’s an eye-opening and, for many, a relatable insight into the life of an Instagram mother juggling a career with caring for her children, proving once and for all that what we see online is only ever half of the story.

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