For most of my life, I’ve been a night owl. For those unfamiliar with the term, it simply means staying awake and active late into the night or even into the early morning.
I had no trouble staying up late. If I got four or five hours of sleep, I was good to go. Even at home, I would watch TV or read until the wee hours of the morning.
It wasn’t insomnia. I didn’t have any trouble falling asleep. It was an extremely rare occasion when sleep eluded me.
So, like I said, I’m a night owl. I always had too much energy and too many ideas swirling through my head to turn it off easily.
This continued through my twenties, thirties, and forties. I think I did some of my best thinking and sermon preparation late at night.
Looking back, I can see that some of that late-night energy began to taper off in my fifties. But even then, going to bed before 11:00 was rare.
Over the years, I’ve known some older folks who went to bed as the sun went down. I never understood how they could fall asleep that early. Thankfully, I’m not there yet, but let me assure you, my night-owl days, if not completely over, are certainly curtailed.
This Fall-Back time change doesn’t help either. Goodness, it’s darker than the Grinch’s heart, way too early. I sit down to watch TV after supper, and I miss half of what I’m supposed to be watching. If I’m not careful, I’m going to have to wear my anti-romance device in the living room!
For those not in the know, the anti-romance device is commonly known as a CPAP machine with its accompanying headwear. There is nothing romantic about mumbling sweet nothings while a machine forces air up your nose and down your throat.
But I digress. A long time ago, an Australian group called the Little River Band sang about the “howl of a night owl calling.” This former night owl is snoring, not howling, by 9:30 at night, or, more accurately, stumbling toward the bedroom after falling asleep earlier on the couch.
How did this happen? Where did my inner night owl go? It’s only 7:43pm as I write this, and I keep getting interrupted. Not by the phone, my wife, or even one of our dogs. No, I’m being interrupted by the constant need to yawn. Big, life-altering yawns like I’ve never yawned before.
In the meantime, I’m not ready for bed yet, but I wouldn’t mind a blanket and a pillow. While you’re at it, could you turn off the light? I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe then I’ll be clear-headed enough to figure this out.
I’m thankful for the words of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NIV)
Les Ferguson, Jr. is a minister and faith-based author. He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com
