McDreamy

Before I fall into a pasta-induced coma....a note about sleep. I love sleep, sleeping in, snuggling with Scott, Fynn and Edie in bed, telling stories in the dark before bed, having my back tickled, you name it. Our house may be many things, but it is usually a very happy, loving place come bedtime. When I was thinking about marrying Scott (an intense three weeks), one of the many items in his favor was his propensity for staying and getting up late. If it sounds a little shallow, consider this little story:

Mellow John, a night-owl, is married to cheery Jane, an early riser. Jane is up by half-past six, at the gym by seven, working out till eight and showers, grabs a powerbar and is at work from 9 am-5pm, every day. Her husband, John, gets up at nine, works from 10 am-6 pm, and than hits the gym and Trader's for anything they might need. By the time he fights traffic home, showers and begins to feel like a human again, it's after nine, and he won't be ready for bed for hours yet. Jane has been home for a while and is just waiting to say hi, watch Gray's Anatomy and go to bed, exhuasted and entirely unenthused about going back to work the next day. Not surprisingly, John was looking forward to spending a little time with his wife, she's irritated because she needs to sleep, now, and.....we have a Fight. The sort that murmurs on for months and years at a time, without ever being resolved, until Jane wisens up and stops getting up at such an ungodly hour.

No, I'm kidding about that, some people like doing stuff in the morning, greeting the day, being awake for the sunrise on a regular basis, bla bla bla. I call them 'le crazy', and they probably think of me as 'le lazy'. Seriously - don't you married folks find that usually the fights that start small, i.e., "The toilet paper is facing the wrong way....again!" often end with, "...and I hate your mother, too!", tears and recrimination? That, my friends, is why it was so vital to me to find someone who kept the same (crack fiend) hours as I do to spend the rest of my mornings (and nights) with. I dated enough surfers to know that while I am all for 'dawn patrol' in theory, I would be more of a bedside supporter than a chilly, tea-drinking cheerleader. All of which makes it that much more appropriate that I've got my own personal Mr. Sanders.

Twenty-plus years (oh gahhhd! I just realized I have...an hour and a half until I'm twenty-seven)
of insomnia later, I've learned a thing or two about getting a good night's sleep.* Last night, all my tricks were to no avail...I couldn't sleep until almost two, and I was wideawakereadytogo! at five thirty. I stayed that way until about seven, but managed to talk myself into dozing for about an hour and a half, until my phone started ringing. So for today's NaBloPoMo, I thought I'd a) bore you to sleep and b) give you a helpful list of...

How to Sleep (Better)

-Start with a cool, dark room.
-NO TV IN THE ROOM! This is key.
-Try not to argue, work, pay bills, etc. in the bedroom. Just the basics.
-Put a lavender scent in/on your pillow
-Stay warm (not hot) but have a source of fresh air.
-Wear comfy pj's, if you wear them. (Read: Not those twisty, binding things from Victoria's Secret!)
-Comfortable mattress and sheets cannot be over-stressed.
-Don't go to bed until you're tired.
-Shower/bathe a bit before bed - about an hour is good.
-Set your alarm and bedtime back/forward gradually for things like daylight savings and jet lag.
-Avoid drinking late at night. (The further down I get on this list, the less I follow my own advice, apparently)

Sleep tight, everyone!