DawnPapuga.com — Reality 101

Sleep, Bear, Sleep

Originally uploaded by Simon Chambers

I don’t know what’s going on with my sleep pattern, but it’s getting out of control. Last night I fought sleep from the moment I got home from work until I finally crashed. We’re talking head bobbing, can’t concentrate, wanting to prop my eyelids open with toothpicks kind of sleepiness.

I usually don’t sleep more than 5 or 6 hours at a time, and sometimes less than that. I’ve made an olympic sport out of power napping and strategic sleeping over the past 13 years, so I’m not sure what has suddenly changed that’s causing this irritating need for so much sleep. I curl up for a quick 1 hour nap and wake up 12 hours later, having slept right through the alarm. I have a suspicion that it has something to do with all the stress this month has brought (and my eating habits going to hell again). That, along with the end of the semester and finally settling in to the new job with “real world” hours instead of “Ivory Tower” hours, I think my body is adjusting to a different pattern of sleep. Maybe I’m just exhausted and it’s catching up.

Or maybe I’m turning in to a bear (as Missy seems to believe). A bear, or a cat. Either, I think, would be okay. Cats sleep something like 18 hours out of the day, and considering my recent sleep pattern, I’m worried that I’m going to start scratching things and running the length of my apartment for no apparent reason. I already have Shiny Object Syndrome, so maybe that’s what’s going on. Since I haven’t been around any spinning wheels to prick my finger on, or evil fairies with a grudge, I’m going to have to say this is a valid option.

If I start sleeping whole days away, feel free to toss buckets of ice water on me.

Then run.