The importance of Sleep
This entry should get filed in the category of Things I’ve Discovered At Least A Dozen Times Before, But Somehow Always Forget. A full night’s sleep makes a world of difference in my effectiveness as a parent the next day. Last night I was up until 1 am. Lately that isn’t too uncommon because I haven’t been getting the kids into bed until 9:30 or 10 and I crave time when all the kids are asleep. I still have to get up by about 8 am though to fix breakfast for kids. This means I’m getting 7 hours or less of sleep per night when I really need 9. This morning Patches awoke at 6:30 which left me with only 5 hours of sleep. I made him some noodles and then plunked him in front of A Bug’s Life while I curled up on the couch next to him and slept. (Harry Potteresque dreams are really wierd when they have dialogue from A Bug’s Life in them.)
I woke groggily around 8 to discover that all the rest of the kids had joined the video party. This meant that the cries of “I’m Hungry!” weren’t too far behind. I began to haul myself out of slumber, but Howard heard me and managed to make clear to my groggy brain that he was already cooking breakfast and I could go on sleeping. I did. I next regained consciousness around 9:30 feeling rested and ready to face the day. I think those extra three hours of sleep were the nicest gift Howard could have given me. I’ve actually had energy today to pull out my sewing stuff and tackle projects that have been on hold for months. I made three pairs of shorts for Gleek, Hemmed a fourth pair, and I began sewing on a dress for myself. It was fun.
As secondary evidence for the importance of sleep, Gleek took a three hour nap today. She fell asleep in my lap around 2:30 and I put her to bed. The peace and quiet was so wonderful that I had no inclination to wake her until she woke by herself. This probably sets back her bedtime somewhat, but I’m okay with that because she has been so much pleasanter this evening. She and Patches have been playing happily together ever since she woke up. I haven’t had to break up a single fight. This is causing me to think about Gleek’s schedule and realize that she has probably been an hour or more short on sleep every day all summer long. She needs 11 hours and she’s typically getting 9. This could explain alot of why she’s seemed out of control. Unfortunately I don’t know that I can enforce a naptime effectively. Gleek goes to sleep best in a room that is dark. That way she can’t see things to distract herself and keep herself awake. Unfortunately it doesn’t get dark until 9:30 pm and it gets light at 6 am. I’ll have to think more to find a solution. Summer’s long days are not my friend in this instance.
I wonder if all of us aren’t a little short on sleep. More things to consider.