Great, Now I Can’t Sleep

September 5, 2013 by Christina 1 Comment

There’s 2 more hours to go. That means I’ve slept 2 hours and been mildly uncomfortable for 30 minutes. And now, there are 2 more hours to go before this airplane lands. I can’t sleep. I can’t get comfortable. I’m attempting distraction by blogging, yet I’m not even comfortable. My seat is reclined and if I raise it to it’s upright position I feel as if I’m standing at attention.

This is a fairly new occurrence for me. Growing up and into my early thirties I used to be able to sleep anywhere. I mean that. I could sleep in the car backseat all the way from Biloxi to Orlando. On similar long road trips, my parents would tease me that as soon as we pulled out of the driveway I’d be asleep. I’d lean against the back window and sleep. I’d wake up in the Disney World parking lot to put on my shoes and then catch a tram to the entrance — easy.

On airplane trips, I was not above saying that I’d make a little bed on the floor in front of our seats. We’d lift the arm rest and my sister would lay across the two seats while I slept on the floor using our pillows and blankets as padding. I’d wake up on the other side of the Pacific totally rested — easy.

For some reason that ease of being able to sleep, and sleep comfortable now eludes me. I blame motherhood. I sadly also acknowledge old age as a possible culprit. I’m pretty sure weight and body shape is also playing a role in my discomfort.

I remember being pregnant with KidC and sharing with my OB, my fear of not being able to wake up in the middle of the night to fed my soon-to-be-born son. I had, after all, slept right through a hurricane warning siren, gotten up as usual, only to be in the car, driving to work and listening to the radio to learn schools had been closed in anticipation of the expected weather. I’m pretty sure I turned around, went home, and went back to sleep!

Once KidC was born and home and waking us up in the middle of the night to eat, get a diaper changed, or just wake us up in the middle of the night, I had no problem at all getting up. I mean, at all. I could hear his cry, roll out of bed no problem. The same with KidA and KidI. To this day, I can be sleeping and one of them will walk into my room and start talking (totally ignoring the universal sign that I’m sleeping because my eyes are closed) and I’ll wake up and answer them or swing my legs onto the floor and get myself up to get things done.

Yup, you guessed it. I’m totally blaming motherhood on that fact that there is still 1 hour and 19 minutes before this plane lands. My back aches. My neck hurts. I just want to close my eyes and relax for a few moments. Just a short cat nap before KidC – A – or I wakes and needs to go to the lavatory or wants water or wants to tell me which rides they want to make sure we ride first and Disneyland.

Nope, too late, they are starting to stir… Guess I might as well be awake.