The Forgotten Art of Sleep

I can remember a time when it didn't matter how noisy, what was going on, if I was tired I was going to sleep.  I've never been a huge sleeper. I come from a long generational line of earlier risers.  But I do remember a time when I could sleep through anything. Heck I went to college at San Jose State.  Now though, one eye is open, one ear is always listening, and one foot is practically on the ground ready to leap out of bed and address whatever nighttime issue comes up.  Boy do I miss those good old sleep days.

When I tell people I used to be a good sleeper before kids I always bring up my favorite living in downtown San Jose story.  I was sharing a small two-story house with four other girls.  That is an entire blog in and of itself, trust me.  One night the cops came to our house and asked if anyone had heard a commotion outside.  I guess someone had been beaten up right outside our front door and nada one of us heard a thing.  Boy if that happened now, I would have heard that commotion, a fight down the way on 11th street, a car backing out of its driveway, etc, etc.

Now I assumed that all Mom's became light sleepers.  Yet another special Mom bonus, right up there with saggy boobs and worry lines on your face.  Interestingly enough in talking with other Mom's it's not a given for all Mom's.  Maybe it's only a special privilege for those of us born with the overly large worry vein pumping through them at all time. Who knows.  But it's definitely irritating. I would love to jump in and get a good nights sleep.  It's almost uncanny even to myself how I can just jump up at someones first stir and be right there having a conversation with them figuring out what's wrong.  Occasionally I have some groggy nights where my response time is a little slower, but normally I feel like I'm just resting at night waiting to get up and address an issue.  Sometimes when I can't sleep I try to figure out who will I hear from first. Will it be Alex having a nightmare? Will Jess misplace one of the 10 pacifiers in her crib and be sitting up screaming while she looks for the right one?  Will Gabby come in to tell us that she needs to go potty and get a drink of water?  The other night I thought about what great practice this would be for when they get older and they go out.  There will be no sneaking in after curfew with ole light as a feather watchin the clock. 

So sure I'm not getting my eight and my bag under my eyes are definitely packed, but will I sleep any better when they are away?  Well when the two older ones were at a sleep over not too long ago, I can tell you I actually slept worse.  I kept thinking I was hearing them or probably wanting to hear them.  I can only imagine when they are no longer living under this roof how I will long to hear their little voices in the middle of the night.  How I will long to have a little hand touch my face and want to know if its time to cuddle or not.  So in the big picture I'll have lots of time later for catching up on my sleep, but not a lot of time for my little people to be keeping me up.  Catch you later Mr. Sandman.