To Sleep!

A Relationship through the Ages (and Stages)!

Sleep, I don’t remember the first time we met, but an early childhood photo of mine cements our relationship. There I am, three or four years old, in my red striped shirt. You can rest assured (pun intended!) that I had on the yellow Mr. Potato Head glasses as I pretended to read a dictionary on the bed next to me. I’m the real type of cute sleeper too, mouth hanging open, head back, maybe a little dribble of drool down my cheek. 

In college, I wasn’t the type to pull all-nighters, I knew you were my priority. Nine out of ten times I was the first one asleep at sleepovers. I’ve been known to nap during my own birthday party and I can crash on a random couch faster than a blink. There was that one election in 2016 that I got only two hours after a nail-biting race, but that’s the closest to an all-nighter I’ve gotten. Overall, our relationship has been beautiful: me being faithful to meet you every night, and you rewarding me with clarity and a genial personality. 

You even helped me jumpstart dating with my husband - there must be something romantic about falling asleep on someone’s shoulder during a long airplane ride. (A quick caveat for the concerned: we had met briefly prior to the trip, he wasn’t just a random stranger I snuggled with). 

Our relationship has changed the past few years, courtesy of the tiny humans coming into my life. Those late and middle of the night nursing sessions definitely were a challenge, but you adapted and visited me as I propped my head on a pillow tucked against the window or the radiator. Lately, this toddler teething stage is a bit hard on my attention to count sheep. Yet somehow, we still meet in bits and pieces. You’ve taught me quality over quantity, baby! 

You are my hard-earned prize at the end of a day of pregnant mama toddler chasing. A thick stack of quilts and comforters + my perfectly poofy pillow + a snuggly husband’s back = it’s the perfect recipe for sweet, sweet dreams. You keep my mind & mental health in check, we’ll just call you Vitamin S. The days go better when we have met up - you know, more patient, less grouchy. I’m sure my family appreciates our relationship as well. Without you, I’d be dead, or at least hallucinating. 

In 2023, may we keep our relationship going strong. May our moments be mouth open and drool dribbling. May we clandestinely meet between naptimes and nursing sessions. A toast to you, Sleep, may our relationship be one of the ages and for all the stages!

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This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs.

Click here to view the next post in the series "Cheers!".