I Can't Sleep!

Tonight I lay in bed and I can't get to sleep. I toss and turn and huff and puff. But I can't get to sleep.

I tell my mom if she lets me stay up a little bit later, maybe I could fall asleep. "Let me watch TV, Mom," I say. But Mom says, "No, TV will keep you up." I don't think Mom is right. If she'd let me watch cartoons, I bet I'd get bored and fall asleep.

Dad comes in to kiss me good-night. I tell him I can't sleep. Dad just says, "Give it a try and you will." But I can't!

I hear Mom and Dad watching the news. I get out of bed and go tell them that if they can watch TV, then I can, too. That made them really mad, but I don't understand why. Mom marches me back to bed and tells me not to get up again.

I lay in the dark for a little while. I watch my nightlight, maybe that will make me sleepy. I roll over on my belly, maybe that will help me sleep. I think about playing with my frinds. My feet are really hot, so I kick my covers off. But I still can't get to sleep.

I call for my dog to come and lay with me. I bet he can get me to sleep. He jumps up on the bed and starts to lick my face. I scratch him on the head. He jumps all over me wanting to play tug of war with the sheets. That didn't work either. I still can't get to sleep.

I just don't understand it. I try really hard, but I just can't sleep!

I start to sing my favorite song. I make shadow puppets on the wall. I start to sing even louder. Dad comes in and tells me to be quiet. He sounded kind of mad. I tell him that I've tried and tried, but I just can't get to sleep! He tells me to try again.

I try to lay really still. But then my legs start to kick. Then my whole body starts to bounce. I tell myself to stop, but my body doesn't listen.

I hear a song inside my head and I stand up on my bed. I start to dance around. I try to stop. But my body won't. It just keeps on dancing.

Dad comes back in the room. This time he has a frown on his face. He picks me up and lays me down. "Don't get up again," he says.

"But Daddy, I can't sleep! My body won't slow down, My mind just wants to think and think. I can't sleep!" I say.

"How about a story?" he asks.

"Will you read me 'Cinderella'?" I ask.

"Of course," he says.

He starts to read the story. My eyes are wide awake. I really like this story, so I want to listen close. I love to hear my dad read to me. All of a sudden, I can't keep my eyes open! No matter how I try to listen, I start to fall asleep. Daddy keeps on reading, but I don't hear the end of the story. I don't understand why I'm getting so sleepy! I was just laying there, listening. Then I went to sleep!