My husband is out of town tonight.I don't sleep well when he's gone.
Oh, where is the ZenHusband, you ask? He's at a Phish concert at Shoreline with friends. That was half of his birthday present from me. The other half was tickets to Phish's three-day festival in Indio over Halloween weekend.
Why, yes, I am the best wife, ever. Thank you. ;)
So, tonight while The ZenHusband is partying in the parking lot and rockin' it in his awesome floor seats, I will be sleeping diagonal in our bed.
Am I the only one who sleeps poorly when their significant other is gone?
Normally, I'm in bed by 10 or 11 and asleep just moments after my head hits the pillow. I sleep soundly. I dream. I wake rested.
But when I'm alone, I tend to stay up much later than usual - reading or watching TV or playing on the interwebs or the Xbox - because our cozy, comfy bed seems so much less inviting when it's empty.
And I sleep so lightly - waking at the even the smallest sound from the kids room or the street - knowing, even in my sleep, that I'm the only one there to take care of things. I toss and turn like I never do when the other side of the bed is full.
It was a little better when we had a dog.
Our beloved Dalmatian, Patch, passed away last year. But, for the eight-plus years before that, I used to let Patch sleep on the foot of the bed whenever the ZenHusband was out of town. I would tuck my feet under his 90+ pounds of doggy muscle and sleep more soundly.
(Shhh! Don't tell The ZenHusband! He's a no-pets-on-the-bed guy. Patch knew he was never allowed on the bed - unless Daddy was gone. And then he'd hop right up in "his" place as soon as I'd go to the bedroom. Smart boy. Geez, I miss that dog.)
Dogless now, I'm more likely to have a toddler wander in for cuddles in the middle of the night. That's okay, too. Just like Patch, they know that when Daddy's gone, Mommy is more likely to let them stay in her bed for a while.
So, tonight, I will make a "fun" dinner for me and the Minions (I'm thinking Mickey Mouse pancakes), tuck them into their beds by myself, and then stay awake in my unusually quiet house until I am too tired to keep my eyes open anymore.Then I will finally put on one of The ZenHusband's 5 million t-shirts - maybe this one in keeping with the evening's theme. Then I will cuddle up to one of his pillows in lieu of his warm body, and sleep. Lightly.
In the morning, I'll be tired. I'll run around getting the kids and myself out the door without any help. And I'll drink even more coffee than usual to get through the day.
And I'll be all the more appreciative of my ZenHusband when he finally comes home. :)
What about you? Do you sleep "differently" when you're alone?
*Art Credits:
Rift, Phish
"A Woman Sleeping" by Rembrandt
I don't sleep at all when my husband is away. I bring our daughter into our bedroom, lock the door, turn on the alarm, and still wake up every hour on the hour throughout the night. Isn't is amazing what a difference it makes without them there?
ReplyDeleteAs my wife is still nursing our son and is considerate of the fact that I have to go to work in the mornings, I have grown accustomed to sleeping alone.
ReplyDeleteI still miss her, obviously, but I've gotten used to it.
I sleep better without my husband. Of course, I wouldn't tell him that. He is a blanket stealer and a snorer. But I love him so I put up with it.
ReplyDeleteThe two cats and I totally take over the bed when the hubby is gone. I also sleep like crap without him.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are so the best wife ever. Phish - twice! That's just awesome.
I only sleep alone.
ReplyDeleteI barely sleep when my husband isn't home and I used to bring my dog to bed with me too when she was still alive (not that she would have scared anyone, being the small 9 pound ball of fur that she was).
ReplyDeleteIt takes me forever to fall asleep alone in our bed. However, in a hotel bed I'm out like a light.
ReplyDeleteI can't talk about Phish or their concerts, so don't ask me. I need a corner to huddle in now.
ReplyDeleteIs Phish still around? Good to know, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI sleep very poorly when my special lady friend isn't around. There's that low level anxiety that just messes with my sleep patterns. I used to do the same thing with the dog as well, dog's still around but now I bring the boy in instead. Poor dog!
Actually, they split up for a few years and then recently started playing together again. The Husband said it was a good show. :)
ReplyDeleteJealous, jealous, jealous, jealous of your husband. You are a good, good woman.
ReplyDeleteAs for the bed, whenever I come back from business trips, WonderWife™ is always sure to tell me that she's going to be a bed hog that night.
DGB, The ZenHusband was jealous of you going to ComiCon, so I guess you're even? ;P
ReplyDeleteOh, I sleep horribly when the husband is gone. He works a swing shift which means a few days of first then a few days of third. It's hard to go to sleep and even harder to stay that way.
ReplyDeleteI live in a pretty safe place and have my two pooches, but those securities still don't compete with having my favorite guy next to me.