As a new mum, sleep is an important part of my day. I structure our mornings to enable Bubba Girl to get sufficient sleep, and our afternoons so that both girls can nap. I am (inevitably) sleep-deprived and therefore extremely tired. So it was with much interest that I read a recent article on sleep by Karen Swallow Prior.
In particular what struck me was the language that we use to discuss sleep. Even as a sleep-deprived mother I am guilty of downplaying the importance of sleep. I often refer to “nanna naps” implying that daytime sleep is for old people, or I apologise when I go to bed … “I’m sorry, I just have to sleep”. All this in an environment where I am working so hard on making sure that my girls get the sleep that they need.
I wonder if this is why Psalm 23 says “he makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2) . Maybe someone a lot wiser than us knows how important sleep is, and how resistant we are to it?