Sleep

I find it interesting how often infancy and adulthood mirror each other. If you’ve survived the experience of an infant that doesn’t sleep through the night or nap during the day, you know the feeling when, as an adult, sleep escapes you. As the parent of a nocturnal munchkin, you can probably recall going through the day in a fog. Thoughts of, “Where am I? Who am I? For the love of all things holy, PLEASE go to sleep.”

Adult insomnia hits much the same way. There are few things more daunting than realizing it’s 11 pm, then 2 am, then 4:30 am, and you are the only person in the entire universe still awake. If you’ve ever lived with a teenager, you know sleep deprivation improves with age. Who was it that said, ‘Many of life’s greatest pleasures are wasted on the young?’

I rarely struggle with sleep issues. In fact, my ex-husband used to say my tombstone would read, “Here lies Denise. She got plenty of sleep.” Hence the “ex.” However, so many people I know take a plethora of pharmaceuticals to resolve their sleeplessness. Wouldn’t it be great if the same remedies that comfort babies would work for adults? Who wouldn’t love a blankie, a lullaby, and a little whiskey on their gums?

I wish I knew the secret to falling asleep and staying asleep. I would definitely bottle it and become a gazillionnaire. In the meantime, take heart. This too shall pass, you just might be too tired to notice.