Snoring, Dog, Night Terrors, & Bad Dreams

Snoring, Dog, Night Terrors, & Bad Dreams...what do all of these things have in common? Well, all of these lovely things are what keep me from sleeping peacefully from night to night. I usually don't have to deal with all four things in one night, but it has happened.

Let's start with with the snoring! I pretty much hate going to bed at the same time or after my husband! If we go up at the same time the LOUD snoring starts not even five minutes after the lights go out. Seriously? I would love to fall asleep that quickly. I try so hard to make the snoring stop. I slap, kick, push, yell, and just toss and turn very obnoxiously. It used to be much easier when we had a queen size bed. Now, with the king size it's not quite as easy to reach! Once there is contact the snoring will stop for about two minutes and then we are back at it. Not only am I dealing with guy snoring - I am also dealing with dog snoring. Not sure which is worse. I have stupid snoring on both side of me. In order to get the damn dog to stop I have to pretend cough. Very odd I know. But it scares the hell out of him so then he wakes and walks over to another place. His snoring will stop for about ten minutes before I have to pull out the stupid fake cough again. All this snoring goes on for about an hour then I can hopefully drift off....

But wait we have a HUGE dog sleeping in our room. Thank GOD not in our bed with us but in our room. You would seriously have to know our dog to understand all of his quirks. He's a rather annoying dog. He's got some allergy issues which leads to compulsive licking. He licks himself and the floor which drives me absolutely mad. To get him to stop the stupid licking you have to yell at him. So in between the fake coughing and all of the abuse on my husband, I am yelling at the dog to "STOP LICKING!" Now, if that is not enough he's a freak'n pacer. Talk about dog OCD! If he can't get himself comfy he paces back and forth from Brian's side of the bed to mine, then in to the bathroom. This sometimes goes on all night long.

Moving along to night terrors. Now, I do not wish this upon anyone. It is one of the most awful things to watch your child go through - especially the first time it happens and you have no idea what is going on. The best way I can explain night terrors is that it is almost like your child's brain is caught between two places. It wants to be awake but can't wake up. I will never forget the first time Emma had a night terror. We were out of town, at my sisters house. Brian and I went up to bed we had laid down for not even ten minutes and we were startled by Emma screaming hysterically sitting straight up in her bed as stiff as a board. Her eyes were wide open but very glassy. She just screamed and screamed. Nothing we were doing was snapping her out of it. It went on for what seemed like an eternity. Then suddenly as quickly as it had begun it stopped and she laid back down and was out like a light. We didn't have any more that night, we never have more than one a night. These went on for months. We did find that if we stayed in unfamiliar places or if she stayed up later than usual (usual being 7:30) that would also trigger them. I think our last night terror was this past May. They have lasted for as short as ten minutes and as long as forty-five minutes. It is seriously as if something has taken over her little body! Yes, thinking Poltergeist here people! I have watched one too many horror movies! i have read that night terrors are more common in girls than boys and only occur in about 3% of children. Lucky us I guess.

Lastly, bad dreams! No, not mine. I am talking Emma again! Lately, if Emma goes to bed too late or if she's getting sick she has some crazy dreams. Most of the time I don't have to go in to her room, but she's talking and yelling at people in her dream so loudly that it wakes me. I have been startled by her yelling before that I have run in to her room. Her eyes are closed and she's sleeping but dreaming LOUDLY away. Eyes are closed here unlike night terrors. I laugh a lot at her dreams because a lot of times she's got quite the attitude and really giving it to people. However, there are times she's crying and it breaks my heart. I do wake her if I think the dream is getting out of control. She wakes up drinks some water and falls right back asleep. So then I am able to fall asleep for a little while until the next episode!

So this is a night in the life of Stephanie trying to catch some zzzzz's! One of these nights I will sleep peacefully - one of these nights!

Funny, as I type the little one who went to bed at 6:30 is up there sleeping and talking out in her sleep! It's going to be a long one!