Sleep Stealers

Do the Sleep Stealers ever visit you?

I am convinced (especially at 5:30am) that there is an evil plot afoot to rob me of the last few precious hours of sleep. Those sneaker Sleep Stealers (drat them!) manage to use every coincidence and circumstance to keep me awake from about 4:00am on. Here's how they do it.

Every night/morning at about 4:00am-ish I wake up to use the facilities. I wish I didn't. I wish I could sleep right through til morning. But, no. My little bladder just can't take it no more by 4am. So up I go.

Then, as I snuggle back into the warm, cozy bed the sneezes start. My allergies are so bad most of the time, that I have an allergy attack as soon as I wake up. As I lay there trying to fall back asleep, my nose begins to drip. That triggers a sneeze. And then another and another. Pretty soon I am blowing my nose and holding my upper lip in hopes of stemming the sneezing tide. But once it's started, it must run it's course. From about 4-5:00am I lie in bed and sneeze and wheeze. I am happy if I don't have an asthma attack and have to cough that hour as well. (I do try to use the time constructively by praying for everyone I know and myself and the fam during that time).

At about 5:30am, just as I'm drifting off on soft clouds to sleepydreamy land.....off goes hubby's cell phone alarm. Loud caribbean steel drum music. "Oh nooooo!' I lament to myself.

Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate and love and honor and everything good about Hubby getting up at that ungodly hour to schlepp to work and provide for us. It just happens to occur at an inopportune time for my precious sleep cycle, thats all.

So, another hour goes by in which my yearnings for sleep are thwarted by Hubby showering, getting dressed, jingling keys and generally banging around (though he tries so hard to be quiet!)

Then, as he prepares to exit, and I start to hope for one more hour, what do I hear?

"Daddy! You know what? The pirate said to the doggy....blah, blah, blah...."

She's up. "Aaaaaaaah!" I'm crying inside. Hubby tries to shepherd her back up to her room as best he can. But he's gotta go, so he can only do so much. And today, even though she did go up to her room, she proceeded to play her new pirate CD at top volume, waking up everyone else in the house.

Heavy, heavy sigh. No more sleep for Sue.

Now it's almost 7am. I've been up since 4am. Wah.

It's reminiscent of baby days and sleep deprivation. My feelings of desolation are so strong in the wee hours of the morning. It can change my whole outlook on the day (in a bad way).

So, Sleep Stealers BE GONE! I want my last few hours of sleep back.

Please?