Kathy, my daughter is home from college this week and I know what you're talking about. They stay up all night and sleep all day. I can't stand it. I am giving her a little break since she had three all nighters last week due to midterms and babysitting this weekend. I swear I never did that as a kid. Did you sleep in the way kids do today?

Doesn't excessive sleep kill brain cells?
Run that by her, Dotsie.

I think sleeping in when possible is almost universal with teenagers and young adults. They tend to drive hard through the week and have late nights but when they crash, they truly need their sleep...a whole lot more than we require now. I remember spending Saturday sleeping until 1 pm when in highschool.

Rick and June, I have an 18 yr old for sale..any takers??? And at the same time, I know that I am going to miss him like heck when he finally makes the move! But he drives me crazy...some days, he and his friends are still awake at their computers in the kitchen when I go to work in the morning!!! And he has school work to do and he´s finding it difficult and I don´t want the worry anymore..he´s my 5th. BUT I don´t want to loose it/him either!!! Right???

I still catch up on my own sleep at the week-ends and sleep in until 1pm or 2pm..being a night person and living in Sweden where the winters are dark and cold even during the "daytime". So there we are in sync..most of the time.

But I would like to make love in the middle of the afternoon sometimes, for example..or when we just plain feel like it. But that´s out of the question..and I am 60 allready!!!

I hear you and I feel you...

humlan, I hope you don't mind that I'm laughing at your son and his friends awake at their computers when you go to work in the morning. Doesn't that drive you nuts? It reminds me of my kids coming in at 2:00 and watching a movie. What are they thinking?

LOL You all are crackin' me up! My oldest 29 can sleep till 2-3PM if he's not got work that day. The younger one is usually up by 9 on his off days. YES it drives me crazy, but i used to drag in a 3-4AM, eat, crash and get up around noon. So, what can I say? One good thing about the empty nest is you don't know what time the hatchlings wake. Hannelore, You did the ice water thing too!!! LOVE IT! LOL
our oldest used to come home after a night on the town and I'd hear this soft, 'mom, Mom, mom, you awake?'....I'd get up and we'd make a snack, coffee, sit & talk till time to get up. When he spends the night here we still don't know when to go to bed.

qball, you are a better mom than I. Not much will get me up in the middle of the night. I so wish I was a night owl when they are all home, but I'm not. I'll try to watch something with them and consistently fall asleep. It's actually something I feel guilty about because my mom was a night owl and she sat up until all of us were in for the night. There were five of us. Dad always went to bed at 11:00 and Mom waited up.

But you know what? She also slept in too. I just thought of that. I was up walking at 6:20 this morning.

OK Ladies....I am having difficulty dealing with my impending empty nest. My son has been away at school for three years. When he left, I cried like a baby. He, my daughter and I had been on our own together for 10 years, and it was extremely hard. Obviously, I got used to it and like all of the above posts, it is a bit chaotic for me when he comes home for the summer or on break. Then I get used to having him around again and then he is gone again. This week, my daughter is on her senior trip to Florida. When I dropped her off at school and watched her walk away with her suitcase, I realized that in just a few short months she will be leaving for college as well. I started crying...actually my eyes fill just writing this. On top of this, I will be turning 50 in May which to my surprise is not coming as easily as I expected. This, in combination with this damn perimenopause has thrown me into some serious reflection and lots of what if's. Has anyone else experienced this? Any tips for this transitional time? I have not been feeling particularly cheerful these days.

I went thorugh this in anticipation of the empty nest. All three were in high school at the time and I felt a tremendous empty feeling inside. All I can say is begin preparing now. Be certain to spend quality time with her, and be sure to have something fun and exciting to occupy your time with in late August/early September. I recommend planning a trip. It will give you something positive to focus on.

Having the last leave is different than having the first one go because then there are none. I don't want to scare you, just sharing the truth. My youngest two went away the same time because they were always in the same grade. We went from having a house that rocked, to silence. Not kidding.

I think a lot has to do with our attitude. Remain focused on the positive. Look at it as a time to focus on what makes you happy. See it as a time of self-exploration rejuvination. Keep posting and I'll try to help you through it.