Any idiot can tell you that being a parent is tiring. Sometimes, I am so drained by the end of the day that every bone in my body seems to ache, every muscle sore, and I actually feel nauseous from the physical exhaustion. And at these moments, all that gets me through the next minute and all subsequent units of ever-stretching time is knowing that soon, I will be able to rest my wearied body.
But once both kids are fed, bathed, and down for the night…
The second wind kicks in.
I like to compare my second wind with injecting a car engine with nitrous oxide.
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This renewed energy isn’t all bad. After all, it’s the only thing that allows us to do the dishes, fold the laundry, and tidy up the house. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to prepare meals for the following day. Without it, we wouldn’t even have the energy to feed ourselves dinner! Without it, our home would be in complete disarray.
But this bastard of a second wind is also responsible for keeping us in front of our computers, checking email, reading news sites, and writing blog posts. It keeps us attached to our phones playing the latest “it” game (which is, at the moment, is Draw Something). It dries out my contact lenses even further with one more page of that book that I simply must keep reading.
It is what is responsible for keeping us up until midnight, or 1 or even 2 in the morning when we all know very well that sleep — that wonderful, DELICIOUS sleep! — is what we crave the most when we are awake.
It’s no wonder that when the baby wakes up between 3:00-4:00am, we groggily wonder to ourselves, ‘Didn’t we JUST fall asleep?’
Why, yes, we did. And we have no one to blame but ourselves. 😉
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This is what happens to me pretty much every night. Glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t have the sense to take advantage of sleep when I can. It really is amazing, isn’t it? Complete and utter exhaustion…then BOOM! Ready to go, and go, and go. Cleaning was definitely on the agenda last night, but as you mentioned, it’s often self-indulgent (at least for me, not making any accusations of you) and unnecessary activities which take place as those post- 8 pm hours fly right by.
I intentionally do not turn on my computer or the TV after putting my daughter down for bed on nights I want to get to sleep early. If I even look at those, I’m up for a couple of hours.
The other thing that helps me get myself to bed- Benadryl. I’m taking it for my allergies, but it also makes you sleepy. So while I usually take it AT bedtime, when I need extra sleep, I’ll take it at dinner instead. That way, by the time my daughter is in bed, I’m getting sleepy and more likely to get into bed.
Although I don’t have any kids yet, DrawSomething indeed does keep me up at night when I should be sleeping 😡
I don’t have kids yet, but I definitely know what you mean! Some nights, the second I’m ready to get into bed I catch that second wind and I know sleep isn’t coming anytime soon!
i always want to stay up later than i should. however, i do think you are engaging in some much needed stress relief, and it’s an hour or so that you spend just on little things purely for your interest, as opposed to doing parenting and household things every waking hour. so maybe in a way it’s good (at least some of the time)?
LOL! This is what happens to me every night! It’s not just the second wind for me- sometimes I’m really tired, but I just want to have my own time to watch movies or shows, read blogs, play games, etc. Of course 1-2 hrs should suffice, but I’m greedy! Every morning I curse at myself for having stayed up so late, but then I do it again. Ah- at least it is good to know that I’m not the only one doing this. Although I am starting to feel bad for being such a zombie for the first few hours of my son’s day.
I don’t have kids but I do that (stay up late, read blogs, books, Draw Something)! Every morning I would vow to go to sleep earlier, but that bastard second wind kicks in. Every. Single. Night!
Hi! I started reading your blog after visiting Chun. Love it~! Can’t wait to read more during my lunch breaks. My first week back at work and your blog is getting me through it. And yes…the darn 2nd wind! I cannot do that any more…trying to go to bed before 12 now so I suffer less at work lol. Hope you had a great LA visit!
It was great meeting you too! Hope the blog’s been keeping you entertained!