For the Love of Sleep
Ben Franklin is known as saying, “There will be plenty of time to sleep once you are dead,” or, ” There will be sleeping enough in the grave,” or something similar with the gist of dissing sleep. I’m sure the man was more knowledgeable than me on many points, but I whole-heartedly disagree with him on this one. I, for one, look forward to sleep and find crawling into bed & Not setting an alarm one of the most delectable feelings. I expanded on the no alarm point when I wrote my musings about kid’s sports. I also hinted at my love for snoozing in one of my first blog posts when I suggested the most coveted gift on Mother’s Day is uninterrupted unconsciousness. I’ve since written an Ode to my Dawg and a love blog to running. It’s now Valentine’s Day 2021, which seems the perfect time to express my sincere love & admiration for Sleep.
My mom once told me she despised pictures of anyone sleeping because they looked dead. I’m putting Mom in the category of Ben Franklin on this one and disagreeing with her too. I consider any creature cashing in on some shut-eye peaceful and capturing pictures of them extremely fun. My family actually finds sending sleeping pictures of each other, titled “schlump” (with various spellings) one of our favorite forms of entertainment. The more awkward the sleep, the better.
I am one of those people who try to find a positive in every happening. My electricity was recently turned off due to a set of weird circumstances, and although very inconvenient, it showed me how many dear friends would step up to host my family during a pandemic. Losing my job a year and a half ago was shitty, but it pushed me into a happier work environment. I sincerely put effort into turning my focus towards silver linings. However, I need help being convinced that there is good in cutting my slumber shorter than my body intended.
The only argument I find slightly persuading about waking up earlier than my body chooses is that I’m awarded the gift of time. I might, with the added expense of caffeine (i.e. espresso from Starbucks), accomplish more in a day if I shorten my time in bed. And, when I wake up early, I might catch a beautiful sunrise. However, in these instances, I am exhausted by lunch time. Fatigued = not the best version of myself. Tired = more accomplished but with more mistakes.
I find sleep to be the healthy answer to most any ailment:
- Sick? Snooze
- Depressed? 40 Winks
- Strained Muscles? Slumber
- Broken Bone? Siesta
- Stressed? Doze
- Angry? Rest
I’ve heard it said before that if God had made the human body perfect, it wouldn’t require Zzzzs. Once again, my opinion differs. I consider sleep a blessing. I feel satisfaction when I successfully coax a baby or animal to sleep; knowing they trusted me to keep watch while they travel into the subconscious realm is rewarding. I feel like such a nice human when I tiptoe around to allow another to sleep peacefully.
While many kids fight sleep, I know I’m not of the unpopular opinion when compared to other adults. Unlike a dentist appointment, a day of yardwork, or a vaccination, getting some shut-eye is looked upon favorably by most. I once woke to my alarm and could tell my body needed just a little more rest before facing the day. I called my boss and my wish was granted. When I arrived to work just a couple of hours past my normal clock-in, I was cheerful and productive. I truly feel if we are allowed to be in tune with what our body needs, we are healthier.
Despite feeling sleep-deprived, a phenomenon I don’t quite understand is waking up when I could and should be asleep (say 3 am). After a few hours of contemplating every angle of every situation I have going on in my life, I drift off. Later, when the world says it’s time to rise, I am stone tired and the cycle of looking forward to crawling back in bed begins again. On many days, I wake up tired and discover my fondness for slumber is so great that I need to honor it through writing. And so, thank you, Sleep, for being here for me during life. I appreciate you when you come in long or short durations and the laughs and smiles you provide are priceless.