Nocturnal

Dear Sleep,

Remember me? We used to be friends.

You visited me every night until I had children. I correctly assumed I wouldn’t see you for awhile, but that was years ago. Why haven’t you returned?

My kids are no longer infants. They sleep through the night without needing a bottle or diaper change. I, on the other hand, don’t recall what it’s like to feel well-rested. Is this the great curse of motherhood?

Once darkness falls, my mind is like a nocturnal bat. It comes to life, flying hither, thither and yon. I beg my mind to please, please just hang upside down and go to sleep, but it’s incapable of taking a break.  

The only benefit of having a nocturnal-bat like mind is that I cover a lot of territory during the nighttime hours. I compose grocery lists, consider all the places where our lost library book could be, and weigh the pros and cons of my daughters auditioning for dance team. It’s amazing that I accomplish all these tasks from the comfort of my very own bed! I’d be much more pleased with my staggering productivity if I weren’t so tired and crabby.    

                                                                                 

I would appreciate the opportunity to rekindle our relationship, Sleep. With you, I’d be a better wife and mother. In fact, I’d be a better person overall. Please rescue me from my mind’s recurrent nighttime flights.

Thank you for considering my request. 

Most sincerely,

Laura