Sleeping Habits

After nearly 44 years of marriage our sleep habits have changed. Actually, they changed about 5 years ago when Butch retired. I guess that's only natural since he didn't have a particular schedule to follow---nor did I---being an empty nester---no longer revolving around school schedules.

When we first married, we always went to bed at 10 p.m. on "work" nights. We/he watched the news in bed. I've always been a reader before bed. When we left St. Louis on January 1st, 1977, we moved east and to eastern time. We still went to bed at 10 p.m., but never saw the news again---or Johnny Carson or Saturday Night Live---since everything started after 11 p.m. on eastern time. The point is, we always went to bed together.

So, about 5 years ago, that changed. He had much more time to watch tv. Maybe this post is more about tv patterns and how that's changed our sleep habits. Butch is ALL about sports. He watches them all---football, basketball, golf, Nascar racing---and sometimes even girls sports. With ESPN, there's something on all the time. About the only thing he doesn't watch is baseball unless he's interested in the team making the play-offs and World Series. I'm not saying he watches tv all day---he doesn't. I'm just saying his tv of choice is sports.

I, on the other hand, do not watch sports. Sure, I'll watch the occasional Titans foot ball game while either playing games on my phone, checking blogs or stitching. You get the picture. I'm not actually watching the game. I do watch the Cardinals if they make it to the play-offs or World Series. That I do enjoy---even though I no longer know anything about the players.

With all of these sports, there is very little time for us to watch programs together. So, we've settled in to a pattern where we watch tv together from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Then, Butch goes to bed---turning on the tv in the bedroom---while I watch the programs I have recorded. I usually go to bed around 11 p.m. By that time, Butch is sound asleep, so I turn off the tv and read with my little book light---anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

That's been working for us for a long time now. But, ever since we finished the rec room, Butch has taken to watching tv up there rather than in the bed. Now that poses a couple of problems. He might fall asleep up there. In which case, I've gone to bed before him. When he comes to bed after me, it wakes me up and messes up my slumber for the night. Plus, he needs the tv to drift off. There's no way he can turn it on when I'm already asleep.

I think we've finally found a solution. I give him 15 minutes notice as to when I'm going to bed if he's still up. If I go to bed when the tv is still on, I can handle that. I just can't already be asleep. So, with the 15 minutes notice, he can get in bed and put on the tv. I come in, read for awhile---usually he's already out---and I can turn it off. That seems to be working pretty well.

I guess this is exactly how we've made it 44 years. As things change, we have to keep coming up with new ways to adjust.

Works for  us.

Now, snoring---that's an entirely different issue!