I haven’t slept soundly in months. My mind is racing, and I seem to have added “insomniac” to my resume. Sleep is hard to come by, so when it does happen, I want to be comfortable. I want to sprawl out. I want my pillow to be on the cool side.
I do not want my 6- and 3-year-old snuggling with me. AKA breathing on me. Kicking me. Wrapping their arms around my neck, like we are doing some sort of wrestling move. And furthermore, I don’t want them doing all this while my husband sleeps soundly on the other side of the bed.
So, I did it. As I was tucking my darling children to bed the other night, kissing them goodnight, going through our routine, I thought about it. I knew the dreaded moment when I would wake to the pitter-patter of their feet making their way into my room was not so far away. Then it dawned on me.
Bribery.
They had been asking for candy all night, and I hadn’t caved… this time. How about a little bargaining? And the words rolled right off my tongue. There was no going back.
“If you two sleep in your beds ALL night long, I will let you have candy for breakfast!”
And, guess what?
I had a peaceful night’s sleep. In between my insomniac moments and counting the hours left of sleep I could have before my alarm went off, I slept sprawled out in bed with just my husband.
It worked!
They did not come into my room. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or if they woke up in the middle of the night and thought about the chocolate waiting for them in the morning. And it did not matter to me. They enjoyed their breakfasts with proud eyes and smiles from ear to ear. And I sat and enjoyed watching them eat their Kit-Kats and Twix bars at 7 a.m.
This won’t happen all the time. It was not one of my proudest mom moments. But it was a desperate reach for a good night’s sleep, and this mama actually got it.
