Sunday, November 12, 2006
It's the sleep thing...
I wonder if it's possible to turn a night owl into a morning person?
It's not actually crazy to get up with the sun. What's crazy is to only give yourself 5 hours sleep before doing so. So yesterday morning, when the alarm went off at 5 am.. (Less than a week later than doing it for the Gong Ride - what am I doing?) I did carry on a bit like a pork chop, giving Marc something to hassle me about for a while.
And I know there's plenty of people who routinely get up at that hour. That Ungodly Hour! Good for them. (Good for you!) I've just never done mornings. Happy to stay up till after midnight, without wilting. But wake me up while it's still dark, and I feel like death warmed up.
So yesterday morning I stomped round a bit as I found my bike gear... muttering melodramatically, "This is stupid. This is stupid." With actions to match, so I'm told. Pretty infantile of me. But I was getting flashbacks to the Big Ride and wondering what on earth I think I am doing talking about doing it all again next year. (Admittedly on the Big Ride, we tried to be in bed by around 9.30 - something of a novel experience for me, but easy when you've been riding a bike all day! - so I actually had more sleep in store.)
I did feel ok by the time we got to town, and on the bike. And, wow, seeing we were back around 9.00, we had the whole day to get jobs done (like a line full of washing).. with the smug knowledge that we'd very virtuously done our exercise for the day. [Mind you, the kids slothed all day, and it was only thinking that we'd had them riding 90km the previous weekend that stopped us feeling too guilty that they didn't get out and do something active...] And early morning is a very nice time of day too. Just that normally I'm happy enough knowing it's there, without having to experience it, thank you very much.
By mid-afternoon I was good for nothing, and took myself off for a nap. History-making stuff in this household, as I usually only sleep in the day if I'm sick. (Or completely stuffed.)
But we would like to do this community ride thing more often... and it is a workable 'no need for babysitters option' for Marc and me to get out for some 'together' time; the girls are still asleep for most of the time, and would usually only sloth around on the computer or watch tv on a weekend morning. With Cait now being 13, it's a doable thing to leave them at home for reasonable periods.
Sounds ideal? Except for the need to rearrange my bodyclock to get to bed at a more sensible hour. The major, major hitch in that plan is not only getting us to bed earlier. But getting the kids to bed too!
I've been reading mommy blogs where the topic of conversation is how to handle it when bub/toddler drops a day time sleep. I remember that! That time when nap time = precious "me" time, and when they get older, and don't sleep as much, you grieve for that lost time you had to be with yourself. For sanity's sake.
Funnily enough, I am now feeling a similar thing with the Teenager of the house (and the 'Tweenager') resisting bed time more and more. Wanting to go to bed later and later. (We used to think we had it made. From an early early age, Cait used to sleep in till the very civilised hour of around 8 am. Other parents were so envious. "How can we have just woken you up at 8am on a Saturday morning, you have a toddler!" Hah.. now it's coming back to bite us, as, like me, she hates getting up early.. but also hates going to bed early!.)
So when do I get my ME time? (Especially if I intend to try to get to bed earlier.) I desperately crave that time in the evening to chill out, and spend some time with myself (and Marc- when he is home -especially then, as he has a tendency to work late).. Even when I've had 6 or so hours to myself when they are at school. Sounds selfish of me doesn't it... but the idea of going to bed at the same time as the kids just doesn't seem right.
Maybe the only solution is to lose the night owl tendencies, and get me my 'me' time before they wake up. Radical. (And as I'm still proof reading and editing this post at 11.50pm.. it's not something that's going to happen overnight.)
It's not actually crazy to get up with the sun. What's crazy is to only give yourself 5 hours sleep before doing so. So yesterday morning, when the alarm went off at 5 am.. (Less than a week later than doing it for the Gong Ride - what am I doing?) I did carry on a bit like a pork chop, giving Marc something to hassle me about for a while.
And I know there's plenty of people who routinely get up at that hour. That Ungodly Hour! Good for them. (Good for you!) I've just never done mornings. Happy to stay up till after midnight, without wilting. But wake me up while it's still dark, and I feel like death warmed up.
So yesterday morning I stomped round a bit as I found my bike gear... muttering melodramatically, "This is stupid. This is stupid." With actions to match, so I'm told. Pretty infantile of me. But I was getting flashbacks to the Big Ride and wondering what on earth I think I am doing talking about doing it all again next year. (Admittedly on the Big Ride, we tried to be in bed by around 9.30 - something of a novel experience for me, but easy when you've been riding a bike all day! - so I actually had more sleep in store.)
I did feel ok by the time we got to town, and on the bike. And, wow, seeing we were back around 9.00, we had the whole day to get jobs done (like a line full of washing).. with the smug knowledge that we'd very virtuously done our exercise for the day. [Mind you, the kids slothed all day, and it was only thinking that we'd had them riding 90km the previous weekend that stopped us feeling too guilty that they didn't get out and do something active...] And early morning is a very nice time of day too. Just that normally I'm happy enough knowing it's there, without having to experience it, thank you very much.
By mid-afternoon I was good for nothing, and took myself off for a nap. History-making stuff in this household, as I usually only sleep in the day if I'm sick. (Or completely stuffed.)
But we would like to do this community ride thing more often... and it is a workable 'no need for babysitters option' for Marc and me to get out for some 'together' time; the girls are still asleep for most of the time, and would usually only sloth around on the computer or watch tv on a weekend morning. With Cait now being 13, it's a doable thing to leave them at home for reasonable periods.
Sounds ideal? Except for the need to rearrange my bodyclock to get to bed at a more sensible hour. The major, major hitch in that plan is not only getting us to bed earlier. But getting the kids to bed too!
I've been reading mommy blogs where the topic of conversation is how to handle it when bub/toddler drops a day time sleep. I remember that! That time when nap time = precious "me" time, and when they get older, and don't sleep as much, you grieve for that lost time you had to be with yourself. For sanity's sake.
Funnily enough, I am now feeling a similar thing with the Teenager of the house (and the 'Tweenager') resisting bed time more and more. Wanting to go to bed later and later. (We used to think we had it made. From an early early age, Cait used to sleep in till the very civilised hour of around 8 am. Other parents were so envious. "How can we have just woken you up at 8am on a Saturday morning, you have a toddler!" Hah.. now it's coming back to bite us, as, like me, she hates getting up early.. but also hates going to bed early!.)
So when do I get my ME time? (Especially if I intend to try to get to bed earlier.) I desperately crave that time in the evening to chill out, and spend some time with myself (and Marc- when he is home -especially then, as he has a tendency to work late).. Even when I've had 6 or so hours to myself when they are at school. Sounds selfish of me doesn't it... but the idea of going to bed at the same time as the kids just doesn't seem right.
Maybe the only solution is to lose the night owl tendencies, and get me my 'me' time before they wake up. Radical. (And as I'm still proof reading and editing this post at 11.50pm.. it's not something that's going to happen overnight.)
Labels: bike riding, daily, introspection, parenting, teenagers
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