The All-Nighter--Not as Much Fun as it Sounds

Sleep.  Teenagers need it.  Elders enjoy it.  And I just can’t seem to find it.  Recently, there is one day in the week where I cannot sleep.  I hate it.  Last night was the lucky dusk this week, meaning that I stayed awake until about 2:30.  Maybe even later.  I put myself into my bed around 9:40ish.  About five hours later, I eventually fell into a deep sleep that lasted until 9:30 in the morning.  Here’s what happened…

Last night, I wrote my blog, watched the movie Taken (super sad), and went upstairs to wash my face and brush my teeth.  I kissed my parents (and Lucy!) goodnight.  I trekked upstairs, ceremoniously put on my chapstick and lotion, undid my bed, shut off the light, and climbed on in.  I lay there, thinking about my Friday, my gymnastics tricks, that creepy movie.  My mind slipped into the thought of my BIGGEST fear crawling around at the bottom of my bed.  The thought that snails, the thing I hate the most, were going to suck on my foot, climb up my head scared the you-know-what out of me.  That bugged (get it?  Bugged, like a snail?) me for awhile, until I began recapping that terrifying movie where a teenage girl and her friend go to Paris where they are kidnapped for human trafficking.  I kept thinking about that scene where the scary men in black grab the girls, and whisper, “Good luck,” to the father on the phone.  That just gives me the chills.

After stressing over the fear of being taken in the middle of the night, I finally came to a rational conclusion that I was safe.  By then it was already 10:30 and my dad came in to test my blood sugar at this time (my mom tests me Monday through Thursday, my dad takes the weekends, I take none at all J).  When he came in, I was simply laying there, my eyes closed, very much awake.  I told my dad of my conundrum (what a useful word!) who then opened my window to cool the room down from this 80 degree heat wave.  He reminded me that the next day I could sleep in.  That it doesn’t matter how late I go to sleep, because (I LOVE summer!) I don’t have school.  He said he loved me and then walked out of my room after turning my light off and closing my door.  I lay there, trying not to worry about how late it was getting.  That’s something I don’t cope well with, the part about going to bed late.  I start stressing out when I see the time and the ungodly hour I am awake for.  How did the time pass by so quickly?  How am I still in the same annoying bed and issue I was in an hour ago?  I thought I was tired before I crawled into my bed, apparently I was wrong because here I am, still awake, around 11:00.  Darn.  If only my mind didn’t have so much to think about.  J  Even though the wheels in my brain were still turning, my legs were getting that weird sensation.  I felt low, which kind of stunk because even though I wasn’t sleeping, I was too lazy to get up.  But I had to, and was 71.  My parents had gone to bed after the latest testing of my blood sugar.  I went into their room and told them my number.  They told me to take a glucose tab which I obediently ate.  I said I loved them and once again crawled into the bed I now despised.  Why couldn’t I just sleep?   I lay there for a long time, bored out of my mind, getting up once to go to the bathroom.  I pulled out my really good book called The Help that will be a movie this Friday!  I read for a bit, but then got frustrated when I looked at the time and saw it was almost 1:00.  Oh goodness, just let me sleep.  I knew it wasn’t right to wake up my parents and make them not sleep as well, but I was getting stressed again and needed someone to help calm me down.  I waltzed, more like stumbled in the dark, to their room once again, close to tears.

“I just can’t sleep!”  My dad got up out of his bed and told me we should walk downstairs.  We descended into the kitchen, then sat down on the couch for a little while.  When we made it upstairs again, we realized that we would have to trek back down again.  I tested 61 and needed more milk.  Down we went for a second time and got what I needed.  After going into my room, I decided I would just prop up my pillows and read until I fell asleep.  Which is what I did.  I felt much better going for a little walk around the house, and read for a good long time.  I believe the time I probably went to sleep was around 2:30, I think.  I don’t know because I went to sleep!  Finally!  Thanks to my daddy who helped me, but I can’t write anything else because I’m REALLY tired now!  Hopefully last night won’t duplicate.  And I hope this once a week all-nighter won’t last.  I guess I can hope.  Which is what I will be doing until it comes true…J