September 10, 2013

Night Owl or Early Bird?

By Amy

zouchmagazine.com
I have a confession. 

I go to bed toooo late.  Usually after midnight.  But isn't that what college kids do?  I remember staying up for hours talking with roommates or cramming homework.  When it came to school and art projects (art major!) I was the most productive at night.  But, now I'm a mom...shouldn't my night owl days be over?  Since Hayden started sleeping though the night, (and it was a loooong 10 months till he did!) I don't feel so desperate about sleep.  I know that when I sleep, it will be deep and peaceful till morning.  So 6 and a half hours now means a better night's sleep than 8 and a half hours did when Hayden was waking us up through the night.  These days...I love staying up late.

When it's all quiet, and everyone else is snoozing I stay up reading, writing, or facebooking.  Sometimes I peruse Pinterest or Houzz, dreaming about homes and home decor and DIY projects.  Sometimes I have my headphones on, watching a delicious BBC movie that sucked me in, that I HAVE to finish.  Sometimes, my husband is still up and we both chill together, staying up way too late.  But, now that the summer break is over and his grad school classes are in full swing, my husband gets to bed earlier.  So, when he walks into the bathroom to brush his teeth, that's my cue: I come to our bedroom where we kneel at the bed and pray together, then we pray separately and lay in bed reading scriptures aloud. (Some days it's about a page, but...weeeell, let's just say it's usually more like a few verses...or someone will sleepily quote a verse if it's way late.  Haha!)  We cuddle a bit (which might just be the best part of my day), then he turns over and falls asleep; I read next to him with my little lamp.  I feel like it's important for married couples to go to bed together and share that closing of the day...but I'm usually not ready to sleep yet! 

I know I should get more rest, and that I would be less tired during the day taking care of my son, but It's hard to give up this time.  Cause this time is all mine.  I get to relax and enjoy the things I love...UNINTERRUPTED.  That is so rare during the day since becoming a mom.  And it's ok, cause this is the life I've chosen--every day is busy and my baby has lots of needs and grown-ups have responsibilities, ya know?  But, man, I savor the quiet time, safe and warm in bed with my hubby sleeping next to me while I savor a good book or peruse blogs, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. on my laptop.

This isn't new; I've always been a night owl.  Growing up, I'd stuff a towel under my door, so when my mom came to see if I was still awake late at night (reading), she couldn't see any light coming from my room.  I was such a nerdy rebel.

HA!  So true.
My husband, on the other hand, is not a night person.  When we're laying in bed, I'll keep trying to talk to him, and he just mumbles, "I'm asleep."  Guess guys don't want to stay awake talking all night like I did with my old college roommates.  Ha!  In the morning, he bounds out of bed, ready to go.  As for me, you can probably guess, I do not wake up gracefully.  I'm always pretty bugged that morning came.  And I kinda want to slam my phone into the wall when its alarm rudely disrupts my slumber.  Maybe that's another sign that I need more sleep. 

The late nights are a habit I should change, but I don't really want to.  I'm sure when I have baby #2, I'll be so desperately sleep deprived that I'll collapse into bed at 10:30, like I did when Hayden was younger.  But until that forces me to change, I probably won't.

When do you go to bed?  Did this change after getting married or having kids?  Do you love tucking in early?  Are you a night owl too?  Or a morning person?  Do you and your husband go to bed at the same time?  I'd love to hear! :)

PS.  Do you want to share a story, some tips, or just make us laugh here at SOM?  We're in need of contributions!  Click on the "Wanna Contribute?" button on the right sidebar for more details!  And, I hear ya...one more thing to your list, and I know you're busy, but it is amazing to share your heart and be heard....and it's fun, I promise!  :)


8 comments:

  1. Amanda usually falls asleep on me when I'm talking to her, but we are both night owls. Well, especially since I haven't had a job. But, we are usually up until at least midnight.

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    1. Haha...so it's the husband in your case who wants to talk at night!

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  2. Is it slightly ironic that I am reading this at 2:30 am? I am SUCH a night owl and so is my husband. We have to choose to stop talking to each other or else it would go on allll night long, that's what I get for marrying my best friend! Our second baby girl will be here in about 5 weeks and I just realized after about 2 days of shopping and organizing and cleaning things that haven't been touched in ages that I am in full blown nesting mode. Between that and not being able to sleep from all the joys of pregnancy here I am awake and being productive at 2:30. Love your blog by the way, I always get excited to see a new post!

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    1. Haha, yep, that is ironic. :) Yeah, sometimes I wish my husband was a night owl too, so her would have converstion with me when I feel all chatty at night, but...it's probably a good thing he's dead tired at 11:00, otherwise I'd probably stay up even longer!

      And, thank you SO much for the positive feedback. That means so much! I really enjoy writing and sharing others' posts, but sometimes I wonder if anyone cares and if this is worth the time I spend. So, thank you for your kindness, your comment, and for reading! :)

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  3. So my husband wakes up at 5:15 a.m. during the week. My kids wake up at 6:45 or 7:00. Rarely do they sleep in. I am not a morning person but because of the rest of the family, I go to bed with my husband between 10:00 and 10:30 every night...even on weekends when my husband stays up late. Then I wake up at 6:45 because the kids are awake :(. And if I stay up later and don't get atleast 8 hours of sleep, I get 48 hour headaches or migraines. Sad and pretty annoying because I get most chatty at night. So I hardly do projects and hardly ever have uninterrupted me time. Maybe someday... :)

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    1. Your kiddios wake up early! Yikes! My son usually wakes up between 7:30 and 8:15. I know, I'm lucky. That stinks about the migraines! Well, if it's late and you want to be chatty, come comment on posts! :) We like chatty! :)

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  4. Since I started grad school before my son was born, I have been much more of a night owl, for the exact reasons you describe. It's the only time of the day that I truly relax, have time for ME. I like to read during this time or watch TV. My husband doesn't understand why I go to bed so late, since I also frequently complain about not getting rest.

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    1. Yep, my husband says the same thing! Ha! I guess the quiet "me time" is worth the sacrifice. Thanks for your comment, Jessica, I think I'll read it to my husband to show him: "See--I'm not the only one!" :)

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