Is sleep really over rated

Ok, I know beds are designed for sleeping. And the size and firmness of the bed makes a big difference in the quality of sleep one gets. I'll bet the manufacturers never took into account the amount of room a 2.5 year old girl needs when they designed the queen sized bed. I'm sure there is a mathematical formula out there somewhere that explains the exponential expansion of a toddler at rest. Let me explain. I got my daughter to sleep fairly quickly last night and then got up to visit some more with my dad and step-mom. The cool thing about that was that she had decided it was time for daddy to go to bed and she wanted to help me go to sleep. So off we went and she proceeded to play with one of my ears and rub my face while constantly checking on me to see if I was asleep. I'm not sure if this is cute or creepy. Was she trying to lull me into a false sense of security so I'd fall asleep and then she could pounce on me? Or was she just being cute and taking care of her daddy? I guess that boils down to the question of whether she is a devious or dedicated child. Time will tell. But now back to my original thought.
When I left that cute little fairy princess she was sleeping soundly with her head at the top of the bed and feet pointing toward the foot of the bed. When I returned about an hour later, she had expanded to about 3 times her normal size and had turned sideways, completely taking up the whole bed. I figured I could just turn her back to her original position, slide her over just a bit, and ease into bed on my side. Yea, right!!! That went over about as well as a screen door on a submarine. Oh, just a note...2.5 year olds that are suddenly awaken in the middle of the night can scream so loud squirrels drop dead for 3 blocks. So, after I got her banshi like screaming under control (only lasted about 5 seconds) she fell back to sleep and once again resumed her innocent, princess like appearance. I, on the other hand, had to get a glass of warm milk to calm my shaking. The rest of the night, my cute little princess kept crawling over to my side and slapping me in the face, planting both feet firmly in the middle of my back, or just laying on top of me like a super charged heating blanket. So, now I have learned two lessons yet again.
1. Children expand exponentially when in a state of rest. But that expansion only occurs if they are in bed with you.
2. If you get them to sleep, it's probably best to just stay in bed and get as much as you can before the expansion begins. You may find 3 hours is sufficient if it occurs before the real party begins and the night time baby dance begins.

I love my kids dearly and wouldn't trade my life with them for anything. However, I wasn't aware I had traded my sanity in when they were born. I guess it's better that way, then you don't realize whats really happening to you.

Disclaimer: No children were harmed in the writing of this blog, however one dad was slightly damaged but I'm sure the bruises will heal in time.