Serenity Now, Insanity Later

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there’s a reason sleep deprivation is used as an interrogation technique. I think training for our CIA people who could be captured and tortured should be to live with and take care of a newborn 24/7 for a while.

But I digress.

Someone at our house is suffering from major sleep deprivation. And it’s not me. This time.

Caedmon is so tired. He’s been waking up 2 – 3 times every night for no apparent reason. He usually goofs off for an hour at bedtime before he goes to sleep (even after we moved his bedtime later) and he is an early riser – no matter what. He also thinks he’s big enough to give up naps. I have a news flash for him: he’s not.

He’s been taking a nap about every other day, which I suppose I could handle. Except that he’s so chronically tired that he’s been a total bear lately. Grouchy, whiny, and ready to melt into a fit without a good reason.

And I’m tired of it. Get it? Tired?

Apparently his lack of sleep causes me to make terrible jokes.

Yesterday, I took Caedmon to Mimi’s for a few hours so I could get caught up around the house. It was awesome to get some things done uninterrupted by whiny little tantrums. It’s sad when I have to take my child somewhere else just so I can do some laundry and sew up the crotch of a stuffed Woody doll. (Don’t worry guys, I was careful.)

By the time I went to pick Caedmon up, it was nowhere near naptime, but his eyes were so tired. Mimi said he’d almost fallen asleep while he was watching cartoons several times, but each time had woken himself up by wiggling. On the way home, it was actually past naptime. And he was tired. During the 12-minute drive from Mimi’s house to ours, Caedmon almost fell asleep. That in itself speaks to how tired he was since he rarely, if ever, sleeps in the car. I thought, great…he’s tired enough to sleep in the car, so naptime should be no problem.

I was wrong.

Caedmon played in his bed, goofed off, kicked the walls, yelled, and went to pee twice just to keep himself awake for the first hour of naptime. He finally settled down and fell asleep. For one whole hour. After which I wondered if it was even worth the hour of peace because it seemed to only make the crankiness worse.

The boy seriously needs to catch up on his sleep. He’s been telling me all week that he’s tired. I have no idea why he’s refusing to allow himself to sleep. Maybe our life is too glamorous and exciting to miss. Because what I do during naptime (fold laundry, try to nap, or balance the checkbook) is so exciting.

A phrase from one of my favorite shows, Seinfeld, comes to mind. “Serenity now!” And then I remembered that Lloyd Braun said, “Serenity now, insanity later.” The only problem is that I am here now. Later hasn’t come yet.

I’d like the serenity and I’ll take my chances with later.