DEAR ABBY: I love my wife. We have been married for 38 years. However, she does something that drives me crazy.
I have a hard time going to sleep at night, and if I'm disturbed in those first few minutes of sleep, I'm up all night. We both agreed that when we say "goodnight," it means no more talking or loud noises. But almost every night after saying "goodnight," she wakes me up with something she HAS to say or explore. If it was an emergency, I wouldn't mind, but it's usually something of no consequence that could wait until morning.
I have tried ignoring her, pretending to be asleep, saying "goodnight again" in a rough tone of voice and getting angry. Nothing seems to work. I would appreciate some advice for dealing with this. -- SLEEPLESS IN TEXAS
DEAR SLEEPLESS: A solid night's sleep is crucial for good health. Tell your wife to keep a notepad by the side of the bed and jot down what she wants to discuss the next morning. However, if she persists in awakening you, get up and go into another room. And continue doing it until your wife agrees to show more consideration.