Here's the thing. From the backyard of the first house I ever lived in, we could see the fireworks set off from behind the "It's a Small World" ride at Disneyland every night at 9:35. I'm told that at the age of two, I was staying up to watch those fireworks nearly every single night. I'm a night person. I always have been. I don't like mornings. Just ask my dad, who took me to Seminary nearly every day of high school (I had 4 years perfect attendance at Seminary, by the way).
I married a morning person. Unless it's a special occasion (we have company over, it's a big holiday, etc.), he's pretty much in bed by 10:00 every night. Often he falls asleep on the couch earlier than that. He also has the uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere, under just about any circumstances (including standing up), and he does so very quickly. I am not so lucky. I usually take a long time to fall asleep, unless I am just completely beyond exhausted. So going to bed at 10:00 is, for me, torturous, even if I am starting to get a little tired, because I'll lay there until at least 11:00 before I drift off.
Before Julie was born, I was still working every day. I had a schedule, somewhere to be, people depending on me. In a little less than two years, Ben somehow got me to almost enjoy getting up in the mornings.
Allow me to clarify. I enjoy being up and awake in the mornings. I enjoy that I can get so much more out of my day when I'm up earlier (and by earlier I mean 8:00ish). I still do not like the actual getting up, the waking up, the destruction of beautiful wonderful sleep.
And I came to a strange realization the night before last (okay, more like 1:00 yesterday morning). My mind still thinks I'm a night person, but my body doesn't like being up that late anymore. I get headaches, my eyes get blurry, if I sit in one position for too long, I get achier and more sore than usual. But my mind just can't stand lying in bed until I'm ready to fall asleep. And then I end up sleeping in too late, and wasting half the day. See, even though I stay up late at night, I'm not doing anything productive. It's not worth the time that I'm up.
My body seems to think I'm a morning person, but my mind still says I'm a night owl.
Logically, the easy way to fix this would be to force myself to get up earlier in the mornings than I currently do, because then I'll be more tired earlier in the evenings. But I'm just too lazy to make myself get up earlier than I have to. And since I don't have any time or place commitments requiring me to be up in the morning, I get up when I wake up.
Am I the only one with issues like this?
3 comments:
SOrry I am of no help. I am like Ben; I can fall asleep anywhere, in any circumstance (although maybe not standing up)--movies theater, concerts, whatever, where-ever. And, we go to bed at 10 and wake up at 6 everyday. We are weird, I know.
I am the original Night Owl. I've stayed up past 2 AM for the last couple nights. Nathan's a night owl, too, just not as bad since school started again. However, he can fall asleep anywhere and within only a few seconds. I can fall asleep anywhere inappropriate and do it very quickly. It takes me an hour to fall asleep in my bed.
You just put my sleeping habits into words!! I love how you said your mind still thinks you're a night person, but your body doesn't. That's how I feel! I've always liked staying up late and sleeping in. Matt is just like Ben, early to bed, early to rise. I am finding since having my boys (who, by the way, take after their father) I am forced to be up at a ridiculous hour. Now when I stay up too late I end up with a headache the next day, every time. So, you would wonder why I continue to do that to myself? One word . . . BLOGGING!!! And on that note, I am going to bed! =)
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