Sleepin' With Your Hat On

In certain episodes of Little House on the Prairie, scenes where Laura climbs the ladder to her bedroom loft, you see her being tucked into bed with a flannel nightcap on her head.

That's such a foreign concept for people who have lived all their lives in centrally heated houses - the idea of sleeping in an unheated space and needing a hat to keep your head warm!

My Mother tells me that when she was a girl, they used to heat bricks in the fireplace or wood stove, wrap them in towels, and tuck them in at the foot of their beds, then climb in. By the time the brick had lost its heat, she would be asleep and not mind the cold so much.

For the last few nights, I have broken out my flannel jammies and put a second quilt on my bed. While its not freezing by any means, its definitely fall night chilly. The thermostat hovers somewhere around the 40s and 50s.

I guess I am still thinking summer, but somewhere in the middle of the night I wake up because of the cold. Its surprising how penetrating the cold can be when you have a bald head! I suppose I should emulate Laura and go to bed with my snugly warm hat on, but I never think of it until too late.

I have two knit skull-hugging caps that the cancer center gave me - one is a bright yellow, the other a light blue. Usually I favor the light blue one, but I left it on the coffee table one night and something got spilled on it and the stain didn't come entirely out.

Now I save it for night time. No more waking up shivering. I tuck that cozy cap over my shiny head and ears and sigh. What a difference it makes! Even if the temperatures plunge, I manage to stay warm.

I also discovered that I can pull the brim down over my eyes for those nights when the moon is shining brightly and shut out even the tiniest hint of light.

And, of course, should I have need to suddenly exit my apartment in the middle of the night, my hat is already on. Ah, hats are a wonderful thing. You should try it sometime. Go to bed with a hat on. You will think yourself smack dab in the middle of Twas the Night Before Christmas!