Jeff and I have a delicious new routine: on the weekends, we take turns sleeping in. Prior to this new glorious era of getting to sleep until 8:00 AM once per week, we all got up together gamely trying to embrace “family time” starting around 5:45 AM.
On those mornings when it’s my turn to sleep in, it’s simply glorious to loll in bed, hearing faints sounds of my children yelling — in glee or agony, I don’t care, since I’m not on the clock– and know that Jeff has it all under control. Their footsteps, voices, and banging around are like a lullaby as I let myself drift all the way to sleep’s farthest horizon.
This Saturday, I did the early shift when Simon woke up at 5:30 AM. I greeted Simon cheerily, because he looks cute in the morning, but also? Sunday would be my day to sleep in. In 24 short hours, I’d be in nirvana. Saturday unfolded typically– meals were eaten, games played, dishes washed. I was in a pleasant mood, despite my early morning call. I was industrious, pleasant and energetic.
When Sunday morning came, I slept until 8:10 AM, which was as decadent as it sounds. For someone who slept for about 10.5 hours, shouldn’t I have been whistling happy tunes and floating on air all day?
You would think.
But, I was grumpy as hell. It was as if all that sleep allowed my cranky self plenty of time to refuel so she could hate on the weather, the messy condition of the family “art” bin, the reception on her cell phone, the debt ceiling. There was no end to the things that “rubbed me the wrong way” yesterday. And the worst part of all was that I had puh-lenty of energy to give to my negativity.
And this wasn’t the first time that sleeping in produced a crankier, surlier version of me. It also happened last weekend too. Looks like a pattern to me.
Image credit: http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01036/Sleep.html
When I am exhausted from a pre-6 AM wake up call, I don’t have enough energy to tend to all of my anxiety, dread, shame and fear. You know, those pretty flowers in the garden of my personality. On enough sleep, there is enough gas for me to focus, really focus, on the pain of not knowing whether I am getting fat or not, or whether we’ll intervene in Syria or how the kids will perform on the SATs. There is all that extra energy lying around to curse the gray skies of Chicago’s winter or wonder why everyone is more successful at life than I am.
It sucks. It makes me think that I (and the people who have to share space with me) would be better off if I just kept my edge off my never sleeping in. I thought it was a law that more sleep would make me feel more better.
In fact, I’ve been banking on my theory that as soon as my kids are a little older and sleeping later, I will be pleasant about 95% of the time. Naturally, I assumed that my bitchiness was simply part of sleep-deprivation that comes with having young kids. Now, I have to rethink that. Maybe I’m just a bitch.
Me too!!! What is that all about? Maybe I need to be sleep deprived just to get to a level of normal rather than manic and insane. Too much sleep makes me…too me.
That’s what I suspect about myself. When I feel like dookey physically, it softens my psychological edges. Gah, what a mess. I just want to sleep in and be perfect. IS. THAT. SO. WRONG?
On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:05 AM, Outlaw Mama
Small children make us all bitchier. Then they become tweens and they take on the bitch role. You just sit back and laugh at that point. Makes it all worth it, really.
Really? My little angels are going to become bitches. Wait. I totally believe that. I can see shades of that now.
On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:15 AM, Outlaw Mama
You are an adorable (aka wise, sexy, funny, smart) bitch and you’re in good company!
I hate being alone!
On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:16 AM, Outlaw Mama
I am so glad to hear the happens to people other than me. I will frequently say “I got too much sleep last night so I’m …….” fill in the blank with something unpleasant like bitchy…tired…irritated, etc.
In all seriousness, I think I do better with a routine. If you upset my routine (even in a way that seems positive) I get out of whack. I think I need too much sleep all the time to be at my best and that’s not going to happen.
It has to be a routine thing with me too. Even if the change is for the good– more sleep, more sex (cough, cough), more money, more free time…it’s not comfortable at all. Because it’s DIFFERENT. I don’t do different very well.
On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:20 AM, Outlaw Mama
I’m totally the same way, too. I think there really is such a thing as too much sleep. And yeah, messing up my routine never helps. You’re not alone!
Gah. All this time thinking that my only character flaw was fatigue…Guess it’s back to therapy for me!
On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:23 AM, Outlaw Mama
I actually refused a nap yesterday even though I’d been up three times over night with the twins because I knew if I napped, I’d wake up all cranky and didn’t want to subject the rest of the house to that. Although, I’m OK sleeping until 8 because my early rising son is now old enough to find something to eat and to turn on the TV all my himself, so my normal wake time is 6:45. The rest of the house is up between 7-8, so sleeping until 8 isn’t two full hours extra for me.
Refusing sleep….You are a strong woman. Stronger than I’ll ever be.
On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 11:19 AM, Outlaw Mama
Maybe it’s because on the days you sleep in you learn what you’ve been missing all the mornings where you’re up before the sun? I don’t know. The same thing happens to me. Sometimes the more sleep I get, the more exhausted I am. Figure that one out.
I think my Therapist would agree with you. He says if you are starving, you don’t really know until you take a bite of bread. If you never get the bread, you never know. Seems similar.
ahh the truth that comes with clarity.
It hurts!!!
We sort of do this on weekends too. I can reallyempathize. Funny conclusion. Just stay tired, listess, and worry free.
BTW, my blog moved. The address is memyselfandkids.com
You moved your blog! That’s brave! Go you.
Thanks. Website now & all.
I could sleep all damn weekend and still be so bitchy I can’t even stand me.
I bet me too. I’d like to do that experiment.
I’m always groggy after too much sleep, and groggy equals grumpy for me!
Same here! Counterintuitive!
I am not grumpy after too much sleep, but I get tired quickly. Halfway through the day I am wiped out. However, I can survive on five hours a night for weeks.
This rings so true! I find not only am I less bitchy when I’m a little tired, but for some reason, I’m also more productive.
The productivity thing really shocked me. I did twice as much on 5 hours of sleep as I did on 10.5. That’s so strange.
I never get to sleep in! Even at 9, Shane still gets up by 6 and I’m on duty. But, I don’t have to do the late night teen pickups so it works for me (although sleeping past 8 sounds heavenly!)
6 am????? Too early Shane!
I have no good prognostications for you. Haven’t slept in for 7 years. My husband sleeps in both days every weekend. The little one is still up several times a night, and that’s all me, too. Don’t get me started.
Your bad mood is probably just that you won’t get to sleep in again for six more days. Sleep deprivation sucks. Makes me subhuman. Now I don’t know any other way, though.
Me either. This needs a cure.
How about sleeping in every day?
Bahahahahaha hahaha haha ha.
Early bedtime for grownups? Bahahahaha hahaha haha. Ahem.
Caffeine? Binge drinking? Sleepovers for the kids?
Yes yes yes and yes