Monday, February 02, 2009

Sleep, where art thou?

I love to sleep. When I first started teaching high school I'd get home so wiped out on a Friday afternoon that I'd fall asleep by 4:30 pm and sleep until the next day, around 11:00 am. Yes, you just read it right. Usually my mom would come and check on me, and most the time I'd wake up with my pajamas on - no recollection of how or when it happened, but I'd sleep 18-19 hours. Every weekend.

There was a year where I pretty much slept through church - never got out of bed to actually go. Or on airplanes, in the car, on the floor, in a hotel, on the couch...you name it and I can crash out there - for hours if given the time.

Unfortunately, my beloved sleep is extremely elusive these days. I've been going to bed at the same time every night for months. And then, I lie awake. Maybe it's because I cannot shut off my brain. Maybe it's my hormones or the fact that a little squirt is using me for karate practice for at least 3 continuous hours every night. Maybe it's everything. Maybe it's nothing. Not quite sure.

Tired has always been pretty much synonymous with my name - ask my mom, my brother, my husband. As I said, I've always been able to sleep anywhere - except right now in the present time, in my bed at night when I'm supposed to.

This weekend though, I devised a new plan. I don't like it, but it's what I've got. Bedtime is now 12:30 am. I stay up and read, or do work at the kitchen table. Then when I finally do go to bed, I'm only up for about 30 minutes to an hour before I fall asleep, instead of 3-4 hours. Wake-up is 6:30 am. If I'm lucky, I can maintain that sleep mode (I seem to do my best sleeping right now between 4-6 am) through the shower and the Monkey is still out, I'll jump back into bed - allowing for some crazy hair styles once I finally do rise to face the day.

The dark circles under my eyes aside - this seems to have been working better for me. 5 hours a night of real sleep vs lying in bed for 8 + hours where I'm awake for over half the time?

You can survive on 5 hours a night, right?

....right?

2 comments:

Melanie said...

I am... but I'm not enjoying it!

japetersen said...

I think most of the adult world survives on 5-7 hours a night. You will be okay -- the sleep will kick in again in a few months.
Mom

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