I wrote this after a failed attempt at a nap before bed with my girlfriend. We established a new level of lazy together that we both love. Now that I’m working full-time, it’s harder for us to spend time together, or take random trips upstate where we can be alone.

It seemed only natural to spend whatever time we had together sleeping because when we (me especially) do, we feel extremely close with each other, as if we’re one. Usually I can get back to sleep, but sometimes I can’t, and this was the result.

A Nap Before Bed

This high-risk, high-reward scenario is, for the most part, pointless. One could simply go to bed a little earlier — but not too early because that would result in waking up for good in the middle of the night — and achieve the same effect. I find myself on the wrong side of this situation.

I napped at ten and woke up at one in the morning, and now I can’t get back to sleep. The goal is to stay tired after you wake up from the nap, but little things like going outside, having a drink, or eating a snack can wake the body back up.

Now that I’m up, I find myself in an endless loop where I worry about getting back to sleep, but the worrying about the lack of sleep is keeping me from sleeping. It’s quiet, which helps me calm down. I think about how productive I can be; I write; I clear my head; I no longer wish for sleep; I give in.

Submissions

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