No matter how hard I try, how much I yearn for sleep during the day or how pooped I am, it seems virtually impossible to be all ready and cozied up at 10.
I would like to say it's because I'm busy making lunches, cleaning my home and doing a whole pile of useful and necessary things, but nope, I'm usually taking a few minutes to unwind, chatting with hubby or nibbling on food (let's be honest!). I think it's because I go go go all day long and then finally around 8:00 p.m. get a moment to sit and actually have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband and top on my list is no longer running off to bed and passing out. It's almost like I get my second wind at 8:30 ... but not enough of a second wind to workout, there is a difference!
It hasn't been so bad the last week as my kids have decided to sleep into seven or so, but when the morning cries from the babes come at 5:30 a.m. with a few night wakes before that, you just can't get enough sleep no matter how hard you try.
The funny thing is that on a Friday night it seems that we can do 5x the amount of things, plus drink some wine, watch a movie, etc. and end up in bed effortlessly in and around 10?! Has anyone else noticed this? Weird.
And another funny thing about sleep ... I NEVER in a million years thought I could be the kind of person that could live on six or less hours of sleep at night. But when you're doing what you're doing and having one of those weeks (months or years!) you do what you have to do I guess and cross your fingers for a nap occasionally. But now that I have started getting some eight plus hour nights this week, I almost seem more tired during the day than before? Is that possible?
What time do you go to bed?
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It is a rare night that I am not woken out of my bed at least once by at least one of the kids, so I try to get to bed by 10 or so, but some nights I feel so indulgent about the ME time, that it can end up being a lot later, even past midnight. And I definitely pay for it the next day. I am not one of those people that can just nap when the baby is napping either. My older child does not nap but I am now trying to encourage her to have "quiet" time when the baby goes down for her afternoon nap so I can have some ME time then. My mom used to do that with my two sisters and I when she was a SAHM. Going to bed earlier is definitely one of my NY resolutions as staying up for that extra ME time was not really paying off. I did not feel so rewarded come the early morning hours!
ReplyDeletei echo your amazement at how the body adjusts to so little sleep! i used to be a religious 8-10 hour-er (except for the nights where work tore me out of bed or didn't let me sleep at all) and could only function well with that amount. now......what, maybe 6 hours of actually sleeping? on a good night? and i don't nap. i'm a bad napper...despite how much i want one when i wake up in the morning. i love using my daughter's naps to get things done and have some time for myself. however, we are pretty good at getting to bed by 10 or 10:30. my partner gets up early to get to school/work so we do a pretty good job of that. for now.....(insert wry, friendly smile from ladysmith!)
ReplyDeleteOh, sleep! How I long for you!
ReplyDeleteCheyenne:
ReplyDeletemailed your prize this week- should be there shortly!
Jennie: I hear you on the whole wanting me time and then regretting it in the morning. Sleep is just so wonderful, but I seem to forget that at 10:01 p.m.
ReplyDeleteGetting atleast a quiet time (I sometimes set a beeper) where everyone chills on their own is a good habit if you can get them into it. Everyone needs a little time by themselves. This way they bigger ones also don't feel like they are missing somethign that is going on while they are sleeping.
Katrix: Seems like you have a pretty good routine .. 8-10 hour kinda gal - I get the eight, but 10 wow! that's good. I totally udnerstand re: using naps to get things done. If I am really feeling it, I will nap, but like to have some official me time when they are sleeping. No wry smile today.