Doing your best work!

I've always been a night owl-this is what my mom always called me. I guess I was not a good napper as a baby or child. I was the kid laying on her kindergarten mat fidgeting and looking around instead of resting! My favorite part of the day....the later the better. I would stay up until 1, 2 or 3 a.m. reading with a flashlight under the blankets at a kid. I loved summer time when I could do this then sleep late. And when I woke up after my late night/early morning reading binge,  I'd grab my book and pick up where I left off!

High school and college years were no better. I did some of my best work after 9 or 10 p.m. in the evening! I would pull all-nighters at semester test time in college. I don't know why but I do my best work later in the day. I've always said if I was a nurse you'd want me on the 11-7 shift or the 3-11 p.m. shift. I've always been like this.

Fast forward to adulthood/parenthood and if you think you are sleep deprived in college that's nothing compared to being a parent. Newborns are so messed up with their days and nights and I understand why. Before they are born they sleep during the day because they are lulled to sleep by the movement and sounds, at night when the mom is quiet (you are sleeping) they are up and at it! I was blessed with a colicky baby on my first round. Sleep walking became the norm for me! Things got better. Kids grow up and learn to love sleep  (most, with the exception of me!). Someone once gave me the sound advice to sleep with your baby/child sleeps...best advice ever! It took me a while to learn but I did-a rested mom is a much better parent. And life continues to move along...teenagers love to sleep late after usually staying up late. I was blessed with a child who is like her dad, she loves to sleep and requires a LOT of sleep. The other two did okay in the sleep department as well.

Now that the nest is empty I'm involved even more. I work two jobs outside my full time job and I have to have something to do. I don't like to just sit and watch tv or play games on my phone. I need something productive to do. And besides the full time job and the two other part time jobs I have a house to run and take care of with little help. I've tried and struggled to train myself to be a morning person. And honestly I keep a better handle on my migraines if I do get up seven days a week at the same time. It's tough to do this some days when I've stayed up late but I feel so much better if I keep a schedule.

And I've tried to train myself to go to bed earlier. I've never been a morning person and I'm still not admitting to myself that I probably never will be but I probably won't ever be "good morning sunshine" kind of person! I was recently to the point of crawling into my bed after 8 p.m. to watch a movie on my laptop or read for a few weeks. Winter was hanging around too long, it's dark out and it is good to be home. But as you can probably guess I'd fall asleep and guess who would wake up sometime between 2-4 a.m. ME!!! Ugh. So last night I had the opportunity to stay up and wait for my youngest son to arrive home. And I was amazed at how much I got done! I was more than ready for today. I had actually gotten up earlier than normal yesterday morning and got a lot done at home as well before heading into work. I've not been home much after school this week so I was not on top of things. It happens, don't judge! But back to my late night accomplishments-I impressed myself. I felt coherent (not always the case in the mornings) and I felt ready for today when I crawled into bed after midnight. I got things done that had been on my mental "to do" list all week! Yay me!

We all have different personalities and times when we do our "best work". I'll never judge someone who is a morning person or does their best work at 3 a.m. Yay you regardless! Now someone who needs 10-12 hours of sleep....I struggle with that one...but we're all different. I feel like poo if it get too much sleep-usually triggers a migraine and I'd rather eat dirt to avoid one of those.  But it is what it is! Make the most of whatever kind of personality your have, be it a night owl, an early bird or an exhausted pigeon!!