Sleep

Do you get enough sleep?  If you are momma with birds still in the nest, I'm gonna guess the answer is no.  My answer is no.  I can never seem to get enough sleep.

The first time I was pregnant many different people gave me this advice "When the baby sleeps, you sleep." 15, almost 16 years, later I still follow this advice.  The boys say goodnight and I'm not far behind them.

For a while, this was absolute necessity.  B would not sleep through the night.  He has always had trouble staying asleep.  Some nights we'd have a 2 hour interlude between naps.  I never knew when I would get a full night's sleep.  So, if he was asleep, I was asleep.  In the past year it's gotten better but I still don't feel like like I get enough sleep.

When I wake up in the mornings I do my devotional and spend some time writing.  Then I get back in bed for a 15 minute cat nap.  My day hinges on those 15 minutes.  If I don't get them, the day is not as smooth.

People have told me "If you work out you'll feel so full of energy.  You wouldn't feel like you need a nap all the time." This has not worked out.  When I am working out, I do feel better. But I always want a nap.

There is no better place than my bed.  My sheets are perfect. My pillow is perfect.  The noises in my room are perfect.  I'm sleepy right now thinking about it.

Years ago, my brother in law told me he used to think I was lazy because I was always talking about wanting to take a nap. But then he realized I went 90 to nothing while I was awake and he thought my nap was justified.  It's true.  When I get up in the morning I think "what has to be accomplished before I can get back in this bed". Then I go full force getting things done so I can get back in my hermit hole.

After 40 plus years, I've finally just accepted that this is how God made me.  He made me to love and need sleep.  And I'm learning to structure around it.  Like my 15 minutes every morning.  Or Sundays, I schedule my Sundays so I have time for a nap.  I can get through Saturday without a nap but Sunday without a nap does not make for a great week.

I think that's what I like about getting older. Accepting myself.  Knowing myself.  There are a lot of things I'm still trying to figure out about myself.  But there are a few things I know for sure.  And when I honor those, life goes that much smoother.

What have you figured out about yourself? What's a little quirk that you love about yourself? What's something you do that makes life go smoother?