I thought that once my kids were out of diapers and sleeping through the night, I would get my own long nights of uninterrupted sleep back. But, over the years, there have been nightmares, illness, coping with various biological clocks, sleepovers and a myriad other reasons why those long, languid nights of uninterrupted sleep have been scarce. Now, with three teenagers, I think I’m getting less sleep than ever!
This past Saturday night as I found myself drinking tea and trying to stay awake while waiting for my eldest to come home from a party, it dawned on me that it was about the third night in a row I had stayed up late waiting for a social teen. No wonder by the time the weekend rolls around I’m too tired to manage a social life of my own! (unless my activities end by 9 P.M.)
I wish I could offer words of wisdom to parents of wee young ones, promising that the days of sleep deprivation will end. But, I’ve yet to experience it myself. Whether I’m waiting up to make sure someone has made it in by curfew, waiting by the phone in case there are issues, or awakened by late night cooking or all night homework sessions, I’m still not getting the optimal amount of sleep for sane living. Of course, after nearly two decades, a parent does get used to getting by on a few choppy hours of sleep each night. You really learn to function quite well.
And, of course, there are always naps. I’ve learned to savor and take advantage of my Sunday afternoon naps—it gives me the chance to catch up a little after an action-packed weekend (someone else’s action and my lack of sleep) so I can hit the ground running on Monday morning. Well…sort of…