Day 322

The older I get, the more difficult it is for me to get a good night's sleep. I wake up several times a night, either from body aches or hot flashes. At first my husband thought I was trying to get romantic when I started stripping off my clothes, and he was a bit taken aback when I growled something along the lines of, "Touch me and die"...

This morning when I walked by the 11-year old's room, I found him curled up in the top corner of his bed, with his head literally hanging over the side of the bed. Sometimes he gets driven to the corner recesses of his mattress by one of the dogs, but neither were in sight this morning (they were curled up in the warm spot I had left in my own bed. And no, not that kind of warm spot). 

Oh how I wish I could sleep like that. There was a time in my life where I could sleep just about anywhere and in any position. Now I feel like falling asleep on the couch is an adventure....

Two out of three of our kids have always been "active" sleepers. We used to draw straws  to determine who had to sleep with my step-daughter on vacation in hotel rooms. You could wake up with bruises after a night "snuggling" with her...

Sleep is so important for kids. I can tell a definite difference in the 11-year old's behavior when he goes a night or two without enough sleep. Same goes when he increases his activity level dramatically but doesn't adjust his sleep, such as when football practice starts. By Thursday evening he is usually telling us goodnight before it's his traditional bedtime, giving in to the exhaustion that has him nodding off and drooling on the couch by 8:30 PM.

I am a big believer in sleep for adults as well. I can go without sleep just fine when I need to, but don't ask me to do it for a prolonged period of time. I'm a 6-8 hour a night kind of girl, and less than that for more than a day or two affects every aspect of my life- my job, my excercise, my patience level with helping the 11-year old with homework...I also can feel my overall immune system weakening without enough shut eye. My throat glands start to swell and I just feel...well, tired.

So tonight's picture represents the importance of a good night's sleep, in whatever position makes you the most comfortable. His head was actually even farther off the bed when I first found him- he had pulled it up a little by the time I got my phone and took the picture. An apple a day is not bad advice, but so is making sure you get your rest. You don't have to sleep the day away- a solid 6-7 hours most nights will keep your engine humming just fine. So sweet dreams, my friends. I'm crossing my fingers for a hot-flash-free night!