Night Terrors: Redux
This story came up at the last Knit Night, and I realized I hadn't recorded Nick's latest amusing Night Terror!
It's not that the terrors ever went away, I've just gotten better at ignoring them. They're rarely entertaining, because I'm usually too sleepy to engage a half-conscious Nick in conversation. I either sleep through the episodes entirely, or come awake long enough to think "ffffngherlkgnclmph," before burrowing back into my pillow.
This incident was unusual. Nick had gone to bed early for some reason, but I stayed up late to finish some copywriting. I'd expected to find him still up, reading, so I wasn't exactly quiet about coming into our room. I think I disturbed him when I shut the door and whipped back the blankets, because the next thing I knew he'd flailed upright and leaped out of bed.
"It's okay," I said, "It's just me. Go back to sleep."
He just stood there, swaying in place.
"Come back to bed. You're having a night terror."
"No."
Look, I need to describe this 'no' to you. It was like fighting with a five year old. It's entirely possible that he stomped his foot along with it. What? I don't know, it was dark! I totally imagined stomping, though.
"Wh--yes, you are! You won't even remember this in the morning!"
"No."
"Are you arguing with me?"
"No."
"Fine, whatever."
He paused, and then grumbled: "Why are you always so mean to me..?"
I couldn't decide whether to snicker or be annoyed.
"I'm not mean! I'm tired! And you're talking in your sleep!"
"I'm not."
"Pshh."
So I reverted to standard operating procedure by flopping down and pulling the blanket over my head. Come morning, Nick vaguely remembered jumping out of bed, but had no idea that we'd talked or what he'd said. He's seriously amused by his subconscious' denial of the night terrors, because this is kind of a theme with him.
It's not that the terrors ever went away, I've just gotten better at ignoring them. They're rarely entertaining, because I'm usually too sleepy to engage a half-conscious Nick in conversation. I either sleep through the episodes entirely, or come awake long enough to think "ffffngherlkgnclmph," before burrowing back into my pillow.
This incident was unusual. Nick had gone to bed early for some reason, but I stayed up late to finish some copywriting. I'd expected to find him still up, reading, so I wasn't exactly quiet about coming into our room. I think I disturbed him when I shut the door and whipped back the blankets, because the next thing I knew he'd flailed upright and leaped out of bed.
"It's okay," I said, "It's just me. Go back to sleep."
He just stood there, swaying in place.
"Come back to bed. You're having a night terror."
"No."
Look, I need to describe this 'no' to you. It was like fighting with a five year old. It's entirely possible that he stomped his foot along with it. What? I don't know, it was dark! I totally imagined stomping, though.
"Wh--yes, you are! You won't even remember this in the morning!"
"No."
"Are you arguing with me?"
"No."
"Fine, whatever."
He paused, and then grumbled: "Why are you always so mean to me..?"
I couldn't decide whether to snicker or be annoyed.
"I'm not mean! I'm tired! And you're talking in your sleep!"
"I'm not."
"Pshh."
So I reverted to standard operating procedure by flopping down and pulling the blanket over my head. Come morning, Nick vaguely remembered jumping out of bed, but had no idea that we'd talked or what he'd said. He's seriously amused by his subconscious' denial of the night terrors, because this is kind of a theme with him.