Lana Hirschowitz Tuesday 17 May 2011 2:34pm

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Adam Mansbach was tired one night after trying to put his two-year old daughter, Vivien, to sleep. I’m guessing it wasn’t the first night of dealing with the bedtime routine because he updated his Facebook status jokingly saying that he was writing a book called Go the F*ck  to Sleep. The response from his Facebook friends was so overwhelming that he called on an illustrator friend, Ricardo Cortés, and got the independent publisher Akashic Books in New York on board to make his Facebook status a  reality.

It is the book that many parents think to themselves every night at bedtime but that few have had the “courage” to say out loud.  The book is written as a bedtime story but is er, rather graphic in its pleading for the child to go to sleep..

Go the F–k to Sleep has gone viral – and you can get your own copy here.

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UPDATE:
The brilliant author and Mamamia columnist Kerri Sackville has whipped up this reponse to Go The F*** To Sleep.

It’s called Let Me Go The F*** To Sleep: A Wife’s Lament

The kids are finally in bed
With sweet relief I weep.
I go up to the bedroom.
Time to go the fuck to sleep.

In only seven hours my
clock radio will beep.
I need to catch each minute
of my precious fucking sleep.

It’s been a long, hard day
of work and chores and problems deep.
I cannot wait to get to bed
and go to fucking sleep.

I tiptoe through the door and
to my bed I softly creep.
Don’t want to wake the hubby
who – thank god – is fast asleep.

I slide beneath the sheets
and fall into a crumpled heap.
I close my eyes then hear a voice:
“Hey babe, are you asleep?”

I lie there very still and then I
start to count some sheep.
I’m hoping he will take the hint
and let me fucking sleep.

Just as I drift into my dreams
his hand begins to creep.
He thinks it’s time for making love!
It’s time for fucking sleep!

He snuggles in and nuzzles me
and out of bed I leap.
“Don’t even fucking THINK of sex!
I want to go to sleep!”

He looks at me so hopefully,
his boxers torn and cheap.
“I bet I can convince you
that you’re not ready to sleep!”

I shake my head and climb back in
and lie on pillows deep.
“There’s not a chance in hell,” I say,
“now let me fucking sleep!”

“We never do it anymore,”
says hubby. But he’ll keep.
Quite frankly I don’t give a fuck.
I’m already asleep.

Oh that’s bloody heaven. You can catch more of Kerri here and really you should. You can see her interview with MM’s Rick and Lana here, all about her book When My Husband Does The Dishes…..

If you could write a book, ANY book, what would it be about and what would you love to say ?