Counting Everything BUT Sheep

Someone was recently sharing with me that they get ONLY 7 or so hours of sleep each night. And that is 7 STRAIGHT, uninterrupted hours. Yet they are SOOOOO tired.

I know that everyone has different sleep needs. Me personally? I get by with 4-5 generally. And that's cumulatively - with several interruptions. What I would GIVE for 7 straight, uninterrupted hours. I could probably run a marathon!

Here's how some recent nights at our house have gone down:

8:00pm - put the kids to bed, sit down on the couch to fold laundry, make grocery lists, or sometimes just watch tv with hubby

8:12pm - Daughter comes out to ask something.

8:28pm - Son calls us because his book light needs turned off

9:03pm - Daughter comes out to pee.

9:40pm - All is quiet. Start my own bedtime routine and head to bed.

10:25pm - Hear our son vomiting in the bathroom

10:55pm - He vomits again, this time in the kitchen.

11:40pm - Son is bathed and returned to bed, daughter wakes up in the madness and pees (after I clean the kitchen AND the bathroom, change sheets, and my own clothes.)

2:23 am - Daughter wakes us up because she wet the bed. Change her clothes and sheets.

4:00 am - Husband's alarm goes off. He gets up and ready for work.

5:30 am - My alarm goes off.
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This is an extreme night - and it actually combines a couple of incidents from a couple of nights. But I'm really not exaggerating. Two nights ago, our daughter wet the bed and two hours later our son had an asthma attack. Then 20 minutes later, another one. Every night, one or both kids wakes up and has a need. Some nights, that need includes racing to the ER. Some nights we're in the hospital sleeping in folding chairs, waking up every 15 minutes to get his vitals checked. Some nights are quieter, but the stress of knowing we might get awakened keeps our minds awake.

I exist in a cloud of haze weathered by a stiff neck and sore muscles. I work out everyday to relax the muscles, but usually they just get more sore. But that one hour is more restful than sleeping, so I try not to let it get away from me.

I'm told that one day my husband and I will be alone in our house, wishing the kids would call and napping in our recliners. Part of me longs for that day. The other part of me knows that it's true, and I'll be lost and lonely. I cherish every moment with my kids...even if they do keep me awake.

However...I wouldn't feel guilty sleeping in a hotel just to catch up. And maybe, just maybe, count a few sheep. Like 8 - one for each hour of sleep I'd like to get. Just once.