The Crankiness Crusher™

An amazing thing happened to me this weekend…I SLEPT IN!! And like really slept in. The kind of morning where you miss breakfast, brunch, and head right into lunch. I haven’t slept like that since my teen and college years. And I slept soundly too–and it wasn’t even in my own bed. Now, now, before you go jumping to any wild conclusions, I didn’t do anything NAUGHTY! I crashed at my friend Rachel’s apartment in New York City after we saw Chelsea Handler and some of her “Chelsea Lately” peeps perform at the Beacon.

Here’s what led up to this delightful (and much-needed!!) sleep-in sesh: The comedians were totally funny and entertaining, but I kept nodding off throughout the show. Like embarrassingly nodding off; the kind where it looks like you’re rocking out to your own personal drum solo. Granted, the show didn’t start until 10:30 p.m., and I was already exhausted from chasing my kids around at their friend’s 2nd b-day party, commuting into the city, and then downing a half bottle of wine with dinner (oopsie!), so I was toast as soon as the lights went out.

By the time the show was over, I was rubbing my eyes and dreaming of crawling into bed. But truly not wanting my evening of freedom to end, I agreed to share some Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food fro-yo (yeah, yeah twist my arm) over a nice chat. I started to drift off while my friend was talking (so rude!), so she obviously got the not-so-subtle hint–I. WAS. DONE. And then it happened. I SLEPT. I woke up feeling relaxed, refreshed–and in no rush to get home (sorry, family)! Wow, what a total crankiness crusher! I guess my mind and body could finally rest knowing that I didn’t have to worry about my kids waking up in the middle the night or the tension-building mommy to-do list that usually greets me in the morning.

I’ve been savoring this well-rested feeling because it’s a rarity these days. I don’t usually hit the sack until 2 a.m., mostly because it’s my downtime and I enjoy how quiet the house is, but this night-owlish behavior isn’t really jiving with my kids’ 6:30 a.m. wake-up time!  But for now, I’m surviving and thriving on my “I finally got enough sleep!” high (and even had enough energy to tackle one of those over-stimulating, bouncy house-type play places with the kids today!).

Often we need to be taken out of our environment to really chill-out–and in my case sleep! If you can swing it, try to find a moment in your day where you can step away from your routine and find a quiet place to sit, listen to some Enya, and rest your eyes. If you can’t escape your surroundings, then allow your mind and body to relax and try to take a power nap at home. A little R&R can go a long way! It might even make you feel human again.