Murdering sleep

A favourite quote of mine (and one of the few I can actually remember after years of studying English literature) has come to mind:

"Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care, the death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, chief nourisher in life's feast" (Macbeth, Shakespeare)"

There's such incredible eloquence in these lines. I've spoken them to my boys, to give context to the fabulous, redemptive qualities of sleep, to encourage them to drop into the sheer luxury of being able to sleep. They probably think I'm nuts to be quoting Shakespeare at them when all they're interested in is playing Call of Duty on PS3 until midnight every night of the week. "Balm of hurt minds" - these four words astound me. I want them to understand that sleep is a balm that is so much better for them that 3D war games. Of course they don't, and they won't for years, but I like to try to open their minds to the possibility.

After four weeks on holiday in balmy, frangipani Australia, I've realised that Teen1 effectively murdered my sleep for the last 9 months or more. It is much more starkly obvious now, because over here, I have gone to sleep when I've needed to go to sleep. Sometimes it's been early. Sometimes it's been late. Sometimes with a few wines in me. Sometimes a nanna nap in the afternoon. Unlike the saying "I could murder a beer", my sleep has been resurrected from the dead. These sleeps that I've had have nourished me like nothing else has. I've wallowed in the sheer joy of sinking into a deep sleep. I've revelled in just dropping off. I've slept through the night. I've not given a thought to writing blog posts at 11pm or 3am. I've not had a care about parenting tips, or surviving through the night waiting for a rebellious teen to turn up. I've not had any desire to make (tinned) mango Tropical Escape Muffins: instead, I've eaten a fresh mango every single day for four weeks for breakfast after a nourishing, full night's sleep.

I read somewhere recently that an important self care regime a mother can undertake for herself is the "SEED" regime: Sleep well, Eat well, Exercise daily and Drink a lot of water. Since rediscovering the joy of sleeping, the EED parts of SEED have followed naturally for me. It is equally important to do these four things when feeling overwhelmed or chronically exhausted but oh! how joyful to do them when the world feels in harmony with one's heart.

I hope that all mothers, and fathers too, are mindful of the SEED regime, regardless of what is happening in their lives. I'll aim to continue to practice SEED on my return to North Antarctica, and if the Sleep part fails me through no direct fault of my own, at least try for EED.

And now I'm off for a little nanna nap before the afternoon passes me by! Enjoy yours...