The pandemic has mangled my sleep schedule, circadian rhythm be damned. Until retirement, I was a morning person, to bed by 9:30 and up at 6:30 if not earlier, even on days off. Early mornings were my favorite time. Mike’s retirement freed him to be himself, a night owl who enjoyed staying in bed until 9 or 10 in the morning. In the cold of winter, it was easy to stay snuggled up with him. With the pandemic cancelling my morning classes, I find myself in bed late in the morning reading or checking email, which leads to late nights. Limited physical activity only exacerbates the problems with falling and staying asleep.
Only four hours of sleep Sunday night left me tired Monday, but I plowed through. Meanwhile, Mowgli, in response to a growth spurt, has been either sleeping or eating for the last few days Was it empathetic pain yesterday? I could not stop eating and slogged through the day, finally succumbing to the temptation for a short snooze. The eating was not emotional eating: I truly felt hungry which is unusual for me.
How fun to watch the boys go through the stages of growth. Blue Boy like C-boy did not experience the huge appetites often remarked on by parents. Active Mowgli, however, has always been one to get abruptly hungry needing food NOW! One of my favorite memories is of him as a toddler, having emerged from the pool, standing in the kitchen naked except for water wings, holding a large drum of oatmeal, his panicked voice demanding “hoitmill”. I tried to sear the image into my brain.
So am I fatigued or going through a growth spurt? Unfortunately I am not growing taller but am always in danger of growing wider. A night of good sleep increased my energy and decreased my appetite. Did I just hit a pandemic wall? A good friend shared that there are days she would like to curl up and sleep through all of this. Don’t we all?
