To sleep...perchance to dream

This month has been a stressful one...and it has shown in my sleeping habits. I've woken up almost every hour throughout the night for weeks...12:54, 1:56, 3:55...interesting how my internal clock loves the "50s"! I have longed for a good, refreshing night of sleep...one that would recharge my emotional and physical batteries. And finally, oh joy!...the last two nights I've almost gotten it. Which causes me to think about sleep...

Now stop for a moment and think about sleep. We want sleep...we need sleep in order to function and de-stress and maintain health. But when you sit right down and think about it, sleep is a very creepy thing. We curl up in our “nest” -very feral-like, and then fall into unconsciousness where anything could happen to us.  We are in stasis…unable to move…and completely vulnerable. When Sweetie and I, along with Daughters #1 and #2, were travelling in Europe years ago, I would have an emotional melt-down almost every day we were touring...it had to do with finding someplace to sleep in a country that didn’t speak English! Finally, to protect my fragile emotional psyche I’d just say “I’m going to sleep now and hope that wild animals don’t eat me.” Now seriously, aren’t you just slightly amazed that we can go all unconscious and not get eaten up?! Take for example one night, not too long ago, when the wind ripped through our area, blowing open garbage cans and knocking down some good sized branches…and I, in my Shakespearean realm of oblivion…I didn’t hear a thing! Creepy…I know! Who knows what goes on while I’m dreaming? Maybe Sweetie is sticking M&Ms up my nose! I wouldn’t even know! I'm just happy to finally be catching some zzzzs!