An Argument for Staying Up Late to Read

Sure you're exhausted and you feel zombie-like the next day as you trip over your feet and shove your hair into a ponytail. So maybe you close your eyes for five minutes during your plan time and feel the need to set a timer so you're not awoken by the bell and 25 kids tumbling into your class. There is the possibility you will lose all ability to function by the time 3:00 rolls around and you remember that you have that meeting today after school and a dentist appointment after that.  Your dental hygienist won't mind if you take a quick nap while she cleans your teeth--right?  Because you're going to need that power nap when you arrive home to your beautiful and energetic three year old who wants to play and cuddle and play some more.  And by the time she goes to sleep, you'll cram in a few things that need grading, just in time to start a new book.  But you promise to go to bed on time (or at least close to it) because you're pretty sure you'll end up falling asleep anyway.

But here's the good part: You stayed up late to finish your book and no one interrupted you.  You were able to pace back and forth when you needed to do so and you could snack on those twizzlers you had stashed away for stress eating situations.


You found yourself short of breath several times and anxious for the characters you're now considering your friends.  And finally you found out what happened, how your friends survived (hopefully), and if they'll be okay.  Even though you crawled into bed at 3:00am in an attempt to catch 2 hours of sleep, you crawled into bed happy and content.  Your heart felt warm and glowing, like the words you read seeped from the pages of the book and into your veins.  Coursing through your, they filled you with nutrients you never knew you needed and when they finally reached your heart, it filled with warmth.

So enjoy your late night reading, but maybe don't do it every night.