Sunday, March 29, 2009

eat, breathe, and sleep the academy

HF is totally consumed in the academy, which is a good thing. He said that he feels like his senses are heightened and he hears the shouting commands of the instructors constantly in his head. I've heard that is normal. He also looks like he's been beaten up. He has permanent dark circles under his eyes and looks like he could pass out any second, which he very well could. In the mornings when he gets home from working graves, he staggers into the house, makes his way up the stairs, and falls face down on the bed and is asleep almost immediately. A few hours later he is up and at it again. I'm so proud and grateful for all his hard work. And I am trying to do my best to take care of him and not be too much of a nusiance. There have been the ocassional eager, "HI! I'M WAKING YOU UP NOW BECAUSE I CAN'T BE ALONE WITH THE KIDS FOR ONE MORE SECOND OR I'LL LOSE MY MIND!" But that's not very often.

Anyway. HF has always been an active sleeper. He'll talk, laugh, jerk around or kick--VERY active sleeper. Once, after being married just a few weeks, I woke up to HF leaning over me. It seemed like he was poking at my face. I started slapping his hands away and trying to shove him away from me. Finally, after one unsuccessful attempt after another, he plopped back onto his back and then rolled over and away from me. In the morning, I asked him what he had dreamed of the previous night. He got all excited and said, "It was the weirdest dream! I dreamed that I was bowling, but instead of bowling balls, it was skulls!" So then I knew that he was indeed trying to stick his fingers up my nose and bowl my head in his sleep. I told him what he had done and we laughed about it.

I only sleep with HF on Friday and Saturday nights. The other nights he is working and then sleeping in during the day time. When I go into our bedroom in the late afternoon, the sheets and blankets are all balled up, and the pillows are mangled. Well, last night I found out why. I'm spooning him when suddenly he crunches into a ball and starts elbowing and kicking his legs. He was fighting with someone in his sleep! I backed off and let him finish his fight dream and then I spooned him again when it was over and went back to sleep.

While I'm amused right now with HF's active sleep, I really don't want to punched or strangled. Maybe this will become normal like everything else. Hopefully it won't escalate to more than the occasional scuffle.

8 comments:

Slamdunk said...

Funny stuff.

Hopefully, this will get much better when he is finished with the academy. If he keeps working over nights his active dreams will most likely shift from fights to prentending to order and eat meals at the Dennys, Dunkin Dounuts, or a local 24 hour restaurant.

Momma Val said...

OMG! Sounds exactly like my husband. I hate to tell you that the bizarre sleep walking and antics are about to get much worse. They were always pretty bizarre for mine then when he became a cop it is quite unsettling and crazy to sleep with him. Jumping up trying to catch somebody, shoving me and shoving me til I wake up and then he tells me I need to take the back door and he''l cut him off at the front? What? One night he started flailing around and nailed me right in the breast (which at the time was quite full as I was still nursing), OMG, I could go on but you get the idea. Thank God I am not the only person that has to endure the madness. Hang in there! We have found that the closer to bed time that he has caffeine the worse the sleep is. Often I end up in my sons extra bed so I can function the next day :)

Anonymous said...

I'm the active sleeper in our house: I once bit cophusband's arm because I dreamed the aliens were taking over the world.

Still, the first part of your post reminds me totally of our academy days. You sound like me, though I hope not exactly like me. I wanted so badly to be supportive I forgot that I needed things too and basically had a break down. So remember to take care of yourself too.

Because of Love said...

So funny! My husband also does the crazy sleeping thing. One time I woke up after being punched and ended up with a black eye! He has also got up, ran to the window, banged on it, and told me to hurry and get out. I have even found him showering at 4am! It is very entertaining, but can be a little scarry.

mrs. fuzz said...

Slamdunk-I would prefer ordering meal dreams to violent ones.

Momma Val-Ouch! I've been nailed in the chest numerous times. Yeah-much more painful when nursing. I am laughing at his shoving you in his sleep so you could cover the back door. HaHa.

Copswife- You bit his arm?! I love it. So he needs to watch out for you-not the other way around.

Stephanie-Man, he sounds super active in his sleep and I can't believe you ended up with a black eye! That probably made for some good stories though. I bet he felt bad about that.

firefighter / paramedic said...

ok all funny stuff, But the bowlling with your head had me laughing like a little girl. I am not an active sleeper, but according to the wife: I sometimes rip the pillow out from under her head, hit her in the face with it and the use it for my knees.

KD said...

You said: "HI! I'M WAKING YOU UP NOW BECAUSE I CAN'T BE ALONE WITH THE KIDS FOR ONE MORE SECOND OR I'LL LOSE MY MIND!"

Uh.... are you living in my body, home, life, marriage?!?!?!? :) I so know the feeling, girl!!

Adam said...

I am starting the academy in January. I've been looking around reading your experiences. It is some great information for me and my wife. It is nice to see what others have gone through.