Sleeping Patterns
by
First Lady Sea Princess

I've been trying to sleep a little bit earlier these past few days hoping to make it to the Rotary Ann's Day this Wednesday. So if you are reading this and see me in the flesh then it's either my practice worked or I just stayed awake and will just sleep after.

I think I'm on permanent jet lag sleeping at about 2:00 a.m. daily. In fact when I travel to the U.S. or Australia, I'm in bed by 11:00 p.m. and up at 8:00 a.m., just like normal people.

There are just too many things to do at night before sleeping. DOV has a perfect word exactly for this thing I do - "puttering." As in, "The monster is puttering again!" This is his constant line to me as he goes to bed 2 hours before I do. Good thing he isn't the type to mind the TV and lights on and he can just sleep through anything. Just as long as I tuck him in with our little prayer and hug him for awhile.

If I made a conscientious effort to go to bed with him maybe I would sleep earlier. But there's just too many things pending like moving my magazines from one side of the room to the others, putting pictures into their respective albums (each kid has their own so when they grow old, they can take it with them), gift-wrapping (I sleep even later when it's Christmas time) or just rearranging my closets and wardrobe and once DOV teaches me to surf the net, then I would most probably sleep even later.

DOV only joins me on late nights when major golf tournaments are on like the Masters, U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, etc. But never on "Rotary Day." Tuesday night is automatic early bedtime because of the early Wednesday meeting, even our sex life is on hold Tuesday nights so as not to keep him up so late.

Maybe it's a female thing. Men just go to bed while women prepare for bed. DOV takes awhile to trim his beard but the rest (shower, brush his teeth, floss, etc.) takes a breeze. My ritual on the other hand takes about 45 minutes to an hour. There's just so many beauty routines to do - cleansing, exfoliating, toning, moisturizing, firming, conditioning, and revitalizing. If there were a growth enhancer product, I would take time to do that too!

All these small activities do take time so before I know it, it's already 1:00 a.m. About that time, I seriously prepare for bed. If I'm done with my bath, I brush and floss my teeth, plug my cell phone, do a final check on the kids (place their blankets over them), turn the overnight light in the living room on, blow all the candles I've lit and read a passage in the Bible (if I'm not too sleepy). But before I finally sleep, I kiss and squeeze him until he semi-wakes up. Then he says, "in the mood again." If I get lucky, he takes my offer (…never!). But most of the time he turns to his bedpost and goes back into his deep sleep.

Here are what the rest of the Anns do just before going to bed:

Linda Rosal - meditate on the many blessing's she has received that day. She also prepares her list of gifts (precious rocks no less) for Dong to read and give her a "first-because-I-love-you" day!

Marides Puyat - this devoted Christian of course reads the Bible before she sleeps (and right after when she gets up!). She prays over Miguel to win the lotto.

Chatty Roxas - also prays before going to bed. She prays for a baby, a sport's car, an unlimited credit card and a European vacation. Any one of those will make her real happy.

Leni Go and Becky Co - lots of hugging and kissing before each from their spouses. And as Becky says, sometimes she gets lucky and gets a bonus!

Grace Cochingyan, Kathleen Say, Sandy Abad Santos and Marisun Uichico - the first lady closes her eyes, the second brushes her teeth and the last two to go to the bathroom to pee. They also do the same in the morning.

Gina Lagos - this very motherly Ann prepares her son's milk. I'm glad my kids are done with that dreaded 4:00 a.m. feeding where the husband is really useless.


Just when I thought I can turn off the TV since my favorite cable station - the Lifestyle Network ends their service at 12:00 midnight, they are now 24 hours. I guess there are a lot of insomniacs out there.

As DOV would say "Good Morning and Enjoy Your Breakfast," I would say "Good Night and Sweet Dreams!"