Sleep

I love sleeping. Love it. And I'm good at it, at least now. In grad school, there were times that I would be awake for hours, just laying there trying to fall asleep. I would get so frustrated or get this idea in my head that I couldn't get out and I just couldn't sleep. This would usually lead to tears (read: sobbing) of frustration until I either a) broke down and called someone to have a sleep over or b) cried myself to sleep. (Thanks for everyone who ever answered a semi-hysterical insomniac phone call from me and allowed me to come over and sleep in your bed.) Sometimes I would be running on 4 hours a sleep a night for days at a time. Now, some people only need four hours of sleep a night. I am not, have never been, one of those people.

I'm a notoriously high maintenance sleeper. Ever since freshman year, when our room was so stinkin' hot we could barely breathe, I've been sleeping with a table fan running. It started out as a comfort thing but now the noise soothes me. I find it difficult to sleep without it. And if there's noise, heaven forbid, I can hear it. Somedays I'm concerned I'm going partially deaf but as soon as I lay down to go to sleep, I develop bionic hearing. If you snore, prepare to be kicked. I HATE snoring. It's my nails-on-a-chalkboard noise. Ask my family. I tortured them enough trying to get my dad to stop snoring on family trips, to no avail. I also like three pillows, two under my head and one under my knees. I also like to be crowded in my bed. I like things around me, not too much space. I don't know why this is but I like things in my bed, extra pillows, several blankets, my dog, you name it. If it all comes together for me, then I can sleep a good 10 hours if you let me. It's like that saying I've seen on magnets and napkins and various other things, "Damn right I'm good in bed. I can sleep for days."

These days, I like a solid 8 hours of sleep. Fortunately, I usually get it. I can handle the odd night out, late movie, social that restricts me to 6 hours, or even 4. But if it happens in multiples, then you get sleep deprived Margaret. And let me tell you, she is NOT fun. I get cranky; I can't think well; my stomach's all off so all I want is junk food... In short, I am not a nice person and I don't get things done. This concerns me because at some point in my life, I would like to have children. The question now is whether I can handle being seriously to moderately sleep deprived for years at a time and not drive my future husband to divorce. Does being a mom release some hormone that helps your brain need less sleep? Do you develop immunity to the heinous symptoms of sleep deprivation? I can only hope, for the sake of my future marriage and children, that something happens where I can function on less sleep. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure someone will try to check me into the loony bin. Which I may enjoy if I get to sleep.