Shifting Schedules

Once upon a time, my daily schedule was like most peoples'.  Get up in the morning, go to work, come home and have dinner, watch some TV, maybe go for a walk, then go to bed.  It worked out well for me, since I've always considered myself to be a morning person.  I always do my best work before lunch, so I'd get to work and go full-steam, then slow down in the afternoon. After dinner, that was it for me.  I'd just unwind and call it a night.

And now, things are different.  I know what you're thinking, "a baby changes everything." Right. I know. It is true. But in this case, it's not so much the baby that's changing my schedule. It's working from home.  I guess really, it's working from home around caring for a baby.  And by necessity, I'm now a night person... and I have no idea how I've forced this physiological change on my body.


My days now look like this... wake up when Ellie gets up, take necessary shower and drink necessary coffee, play with the baby, clean while she naps, play with the baby, do Wii Fit while she naps, play with the baby till Mike comes home, go to the gym, have dinner, put the baby to bed, and then get to work.  It's not unusual for me to stay awake until past 2 AM. If you had told Stephanie of six months ago that I'd be doing this, she would've rolled her eyes at you and said, "Yeah. Right."

No, but seriously, Stephanie from six months ago, that's happening right now. No idea how. 

The other big change is how much sleep I require now.  I always needed a minimum of seven hours' sleep. Always.  No all-nighters in college, no late-night outings... as long as I could avoid it.  And if I was up late, I needed to know I could sleep for seven hours the next day.  Mike could sleep two hours and wake right up with no problem.  I don't think he can do that anymore, though.  Now I suddenly can.

Four to five hours of sleep is now routine.  And I'm okay most of the time.  Granted, I need one or two nights of that elusive seven hours.  I guess I'm just living proof that you can adapt to anything.  Tell your body what you need and it will do it's best to give it to you.

So I'm not complaining here, just really remarking on how amazed I am.  I just didn't know there was a secret night owl hiding in here...