Sleep

Sleep

“I can’t sleep.

“Well then, just lay in your bed and think about things. What you can’t do is stay up, or have your light on, or play with toys.”

“Mom!!!” whined Terry.

“I am not going through this again! You will never get your body to go to sleep at night by playing with toys or fooling around in your room.”

“But I’m not tired!”

“You don’t even know if you’re tired. I’ve seen you when you wake up. You’ve never gotten enough sleep because you convinced yourself you’re not tired and you stay awake too long.”

“What does convinced mean?”

“It means talking about something until you believe it.”

“I don’t talk in my room.”

“No, it means talking to yourself, inside your head. Thinking.”

“But thinking is good right? You always tell me to think about stuff.”

“Yes... and no... Thinking is good, staying up too late is bad.”

“But, didn’t you just tell me I couldn’t play in my room, but I could lay in bed and think about stuff?”

“Ah,”

“But if I can’t think and I can’t play what am I going to do?”

“Go to sleep”

“But I’m not sleepy!”

“You are sleepy, you just don’t know it.”

“How will I know it?”

“By quieting down, stop playing with toys, not talking...”

“You don’t know, do you!”

“Of course I know! Well, I’m not sure now. I just know you can’t go to sleep while you’re up playing in your room.”

“But don’t I do that all the time?”

“Well yes, but then you’re cranky in the morning!”

“Maybe I’m just a person who is cranky every morning.”

“I give up.”

“Love you Mum!”

“Love you too, go to bed.”

“Goodnight!”

Mum did not sleep well that night. Terry slept like a log.