I find sleep to be a cruel mirage that taunts me while I search for its mystical powers. I go to bed out of a sense of responsibility and impatiently wait for another restless nite to begin. The process eventually ends when I awake in a coffee-resistant fog. It seems slightly less than ideal.
All the potential remedies I’ve tried just make me more envious of those who quickly embrace the wonders of sleep. I have a friend who can literally lie down anywhere and drift away as though it was perfectly normal. What a gift!
Nothing like sleeping on a tropical beach with no worries about tan lines.
When I went to Hawaii, I figured my friend had finally met his match. The sea turtles would heave themselves up on the beach and go to sleep on whatever spot they happened to land. Then nothing seemed to deter their fitful dreams. The turtles had trumped my friend!
With that little contest settled, I presumed the matter was closed.
Then we go to Grand Teton National Park and I see my first Trumpeter Swans. They are magnificent and graceful birds that carry a regal presence. I was anxious to get a decent shot to knock them off my photo bucket list.
I noticed a few of them on a far lake and decided to walk closer to the shoreline. When we got there, the swans had curled in their long necks and were sleeping away as the sun was setting. I had never seen anything like it.
I immediately thot of the turtles plopped on the sand and compared that to sleeping on a built-in down pillow while floating on a waterbed. I had found a new sleep champion!
Now there’s another sound sleeper to think about as I lie in bed and longingly gaze at the mirage.
Synchronized sleeping at its finest.
Krahnpix 
Adorable!
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Thanks. I sure enjoyed finding them
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Great photo of the swans Lyle. I have had the same problem in the past. At home I can sleep late and get as much as I wish. On the road or camping I get up so early that it is hard to ever get enough. When I was young and had jobs that kicked my butt physically there was never a problem crashing early. But it was much easier when I worked 7 day a week projects. That way your body gets used to going to bed and getting up at the same time. For me that’s always been the key to good sleep, consistency. Great concept..in theory.
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Dear Lyle, Lovely pictures.We see a lot of such scenes along the coast of India. Regards, Ganesh.
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Thanks. It’s interesting what is familiar to one person is new to others.
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Love the turtles!!!! and the swans!!! I used to be like your friend and now am like you …. how I long for the days like your friend. Good luck in your pursuit of some sound zzzzz’s.
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Thanks. And same to you. Living on the memory of old sleep probably doesn’t help.
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That really does look like some good sleep. Just picture them when trying to fall asleep.
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Maybe I’ll have to try that!
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Slightly less than ideal, indeed! I share your problem, and my husband is one of the evil ones who can sleep anywhere, instantly. Grrrrr….
But I’d never thought to be jealous of the critters – now I am!
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Sorry you share the affliction … but glad I could help with the jealousy:)
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Terrific photos.
I’ve heard rumors that alligators are pretty good at sleeping.
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Thanks. I can’t imagine where you heard those rumours. I’ll have to check our local lake and see if we have any.
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Great photos! I used to be that turtle when I was younger, but find that it’s not as easy to sleep anywhere as it used to be 🙂
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Thanks. Be careful not to lose that gift:)
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Welcome to the club, being jealous on Animals. I’m jealous too how they can sleep, all over the places, on 4 legs, 2 legs, 1 leg or in other fancy positions. I’m jealous when I watch my cat. He comes home, decided which place now, lays down, rolls to an Embryo position, takes a deep breath a drifts away.
So, great photos of these sleeping Swans. They might are members of the Olympic Synchron Swiming Club:-)
have a great day, Greets from CH, Thee
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Ah so I’m not the only one! Maybe they could teach me how to do it. They should have animal Olympics – I have a few photos of pairs that might qualify. Thanks for the comments.
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I am glad that you were finally able to get pictures of the Trumpeter swans. I remember asking you if you had any when I wrote my post on The Trumpet of the Swan – http://bramanswanderings.wordpress.com/2012/11/10/the-trumpet-of-the-swan/
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I remembered that request when I saw them. I think you put them on my photo bucket list.
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You have also added a few things to mine :-).
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Shame Lyle, I’ll swop you for a bit – I have 32 books I’m dying to read and every night when I finally grab one, I read a paragraph and can’t keep my eyes open. Love the turtle pic!
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Thanks. If there was a way to swap – I’m in! I don’t understand how reading makes people tired.
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Wow. I am surrounded by the kind of people you mention, the ones that can fall asleep before they even think about it. Me, not so much. But the bird thing is cool; ducks do it, too. I saw a whole flock of them once at a wildlife refuge and was puzzled by their apparent headlessness until I figured out they were sleeping!
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That would be neat to see a whole flock do it. Sorry to hear your sleeping isn’t so great either.
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This was great! I swear that turtle looks soooooo relaxed. Hahaha Mike! Love Nemo!
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There’s a whole lot of oblivious relaxing going on there!
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“Cha! Dude, you’re ridin’ the E.A.C.!”
–Crush, “Finding Nemo”
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That’s great!
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loved the pictures!!!
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Thanks so much.
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