the early bird
can have the worm
From what I can tell, there are two kinds of people. Early birds and night owls.
I myself am a night owl, which is why this post comes now, just after they (yes, the giant proverbial “they”) crept into my room at midnight and took back an hour of my sleep. Well, I didn’t want to give it back. I put it in the sleep bank last October, and that is precisely where I wanted it to stay.
Okay, I know am being a big baby. But I really hate having my sleep messed with (just ask my cats). I don’t know if it’s because menopause is looming over my left shoulder, or if I am just a naturally light sleeper, but these days it is hard for me to get a good night’s sleep. And one of the things I have learned is that if I follow a strict schedule and get to bed by a certain time every night then the whole sleep thing works better for me. But twice a year “they” mess with that schedule and I have to start all over again.
Oh, I’ll get over it, in a couple of weeks I’ll forget all about it and go back to my usual habits, which means going to bed around midnight and getting up at six thirty or seven. Given my druthers, I would actually stay up even later, but I know I have to get out of bed and work in the morning so I’ve settled for midnight.
My husband is just the opposite, he is a perky early bird who wakes up bubbly at three a.m. and goes to bed around eight every night. We have learned over the years to adjust to our unsynchronized sleep patterns… I know that I will have several hours to myself every evening, and he knows not to talk to me until I’ve had at least two cups of tea in the morning.
He also takes a lot of naps. I never nap, because then I have to start all over with the waking up part, and I’m really, really grouchy, and it just isn’t worth it. Our internal clocks are different… early to bed and early to rise seems to be the way my husband’s is naturally set. And because of this, I guess he gets a lot of worms.
But you know, that’s okay, because I don’t like worms.
(actually, I’m terrified of them, but that will be a different post…)
And I prefer to stay up late and spend my time knocking around in the dark, hunting for something that is never quite there.
I can’t help it, that’s just the way I am.
.
(The owl I managed to insert into my photo above is from The Graphics Fairy)
March 15th, 2010 at 9:42 am
i’m a night owl too. and although our time hasn’t changed yet, not for a couple more weeks, i do hate that first week of it too, but then it’s quite welcome, all that light. after so much darkness during the winter.
but those hours to oneself late at night. delicious.
March 15th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
yes, the extra hour of light is wonderful. really. and i’ll enjoy it as soon as i get over my tantrum…
March 15th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
up. all. last. night. say no more.
March 15th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
me too…damn “them”!
March 15th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
I’m not a night owl. But what I love is to take a shower after I put the kids to bed (so like about 9:30), then sit under my hair dryer (I bought it from a salon) so I can’t hear anyone yelling “Mom! Can you check on me?” or “Mom, I need a drink!” Or “Mom!”. I sit under there and read, pet the cat (who thinks he deserves love and isn’t afraid to use his claws to get it), or fall asleep.
As for mornings, well, Chili (6 month old puppy) usually wants me to take her out about 6. So then I’m up.
March 15th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Hahaha…I never thought of that, what a great escape idea…my cats try to wake me up but i have given them the evil eye so many times they know not to bug me unless my eyes are already open!
March 15th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
I agree….damn them for ruining the good thing I had going. I really think this healthier eating routine is making me sleep more soundly, but HEY WAIT….I didn’t ask to a have an hour removed and put someplace else only to leave me in the dark again in the morning…..but I won’t lie, I love the extra daylight at dinner time where I no longer feel like I live in alaska….
March 15th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
yes, that extra hour of daylight is the saving grace…but “they” better hope i sleep tonight….:)