SLEEPY TIME

At least that's what our youngest grandson calls it. He usually fights it, too. One snack before bedtime. Or one more story to be read. Before sleepy time. He's a great sleeper, too. No tossing and turning or flailing or waking up in the middle of the night.

Not me. Sleepy time can be anywhere, almost anytime. I try not to fight it except places where I shouldn't sleep. Such as driving, during long sit down meals, at church, at ball games.

Last night I went to sleep, awoke after 50 minutes, felt rested, and looked at my wife who was still reading, got a drink of water and went back to sleep. For another hour or two, before I got a drink, went to the bathroom, returned to bed for another hour or two and while not always getting up (sometimes I just look at the clock, like I have some place to go) and fall back to sleep.

Uninterrupted sleep doesn't happen much with me. Oh, it used to. Seven hours every night. But those days like the days of putting on the Rolling Stones or Beatles before falling to sleep are sadly no more. When I sleep for four straight hours, it's ecstasy. It happens once in awhile.

Naps--now you're talking. I've always been a power napper. Give me 10 or 15 minutes and I'm refreshed. One a day used to do. Now it may be one in the late morning and one in the afternoon, punctuated by one about 9:00 PM. Keep in mind I'm normally heading to the bedroom at 9:30 or so, certainly by 10:00 or 10:30.

Do I have apnea? No, thankfully. Narcolepsy? Nope. Old age? Getting there fast.