I just take short naps. I rest my eyelids. Yep, that's about it. Maybe I'll be out cold for an hour or two if I'm lucky. But that's super rare.
So why am I skipping out on sleep?
Restless Legs
They've grown a mind of their own and truly want to run a 5K at the stroke of Midnight. And then they ask again every 5 minutes until about 2:30 AM. I might as well strap a runner's number on them, detach them from my body, and tell them to go have fun and come back to pick me up later at a more reasonable hour...like, say, 9 AM. That would be great. Thanks.
Indigestion
Sometimes I think my transforming body forgets that it's simply pregnant, not turning into a cow that needs to chew its cud. But up comes my meal anyhow, and I have to quickly sit up or rapidly turn over to my left side in order to stop the bovine-like behavior. Bah-humbug.
Baby's Wiggles, Thumps, Kicks, and Squirms
When you've got someone nestled inside you, you can't sleep unless they are. Lately, throughout the night, I've found myself having to move my organs out of the way to accommodate Baby's positions. Sure, let me contort my midsection a bit so that my stomach and liver gets out of the way of your elbow. No problem, kiddo. :)
A Wide-Awake Mind
My mind is always calm, praise God, but it sure is fully functional on the hour, every hour during the night! My eyes will suddenly open and I'm ready to hold an in-depth conversation with whomever wants to talk. Or I'm ready to read a challenging book. Or write a novel. Or solve a puzzle. Or plan the week's menu. Heck, it doesn't matter WHAT I do; I'm just ready to do absolutely anything. Usually what I do, however, is just roll over. I've come to learn that a sudden conscious mind is usually a precursor to one of my hips hurting badly. So if I take my body's cue to flip at that moment, it usually avoids the pain. But, then, of course, I can't fall back asleep. :-(
A Full Bladder
I always have to go to the bathroom now, it seems. I guess it's good that I've been drinking a lot of water, but drinking and peeing for two means spending double the time in the bathroom! So, during the night, I will get up one, two, or three times. That sure keeps me from sleeping soundly!
By 3 or 4 AM, however, I'm golden. Rest is absolutely assured. I'll be unconscious in a moment, and I'll sleep so peacefully. Yes, I'll wake up again in only 2-3 hours when Michael rises for work, but hey, at least I got a little true shut-eye!
