Sleep, Elusive Sleep. Oh, how I miss thee.
Remember way back when we were kids and we wanted to stay up late?
And then we were a bit older and wanted to stay up ALL night?!
(Sounds absolutely terrible now. 😆)
Roll forward a few years to your teens and twenties.
Remember when sleep used to come sooo easily?
I remember I’d lay on my bed, close my eyes, and pass out. Wake in the morning.
OR I’d lay on the couch, turn on a movie (Happy Gilmore, anyone?), and pass out. Wake with drool on my arm.
OR I’d just lean back on the couch, click the TV on, close my eyes for a minute, and drift off. Wake in the morning lying on the couch. (This happened a LOT in my 20s.)
I truly think sleep was pretty easy until we had Little D. I did the babywise method and fed her at scheduled times during the night. But she took forEVER to eat! Holy Moly, it was a challenge. Breastfeeding for 1.5 years, then she had/has bad eczema and scratches through the night (we cosleep), and now I have to wake at least once during the night to pee.
Once I wake, my chances of returning to sleep are like rolling dice.
Do I get to go right back to sleep?
Stay up for 40 minutes?
Or will it be 2-3 hours?
I now leave my phone charging on the kitchen counter during the night. Otherwise, I might be tempted to google cast iron breakfast recipes at 2:30 in the morning when I can’t get back to sleep. (Which only keeps me up longer. It’s no secret that screens aren’t good for sleep.)
I’ve also started a bedtime routine. New year, why not?
Typical bedtime routine stuff.
Quit screens by 8pm.
Close down the house for the night. Make sure kitchen is clear. Last of pick up, put away for the day.
Prepare chamomile tea.
Get ready for bed (teeth, PJs, etc).
Read book in bed.
Lights out by 10 pm.
We’ll see how it goes. Wish me luck.