Snooze and Snuggle: A little “something” is always better than a lot of “nothing”

{A “Slow Cooking” Smart Living tip to help us Crockpot-women stay warmed up to our Microwave-men}

Ever go through times when physical intimacy with your husband is just not an option? A few scenarios where this might be the case are periods of illness, physical limitations, the whole family (including teenage children) living in basically one room for four months… Oh...Haven’t experienced that last one? I sure have… In fact, we just recently came out of that lovely scenario. While in the process of moving, our family lived together in a garage efficiency apartment, with my husband and me sleeping in the bed, our daughter on the couch, and our son sleeping on the floor. I can tell you ~ there was a lot of “intimacy” going on in that apartment… just not the kind we usually talk about on this blog. {grin} It was great for our family, but hard on the husband/wife oneness. All I can say is I honestly thank God that my husband and I took this challenge the year before… ha ha!

In asking the Lord what we could do to stay intimately connected during this Family-Together-Time, He gave us the following idea. It worked so well for us that we have made this a daily practice – even though we once again have our own private space (PTL, btw!).

We call it “Snooze and Snuggle”.

{Before I go on, I must tell you that I’m not a proponent of alarm clock snoozing. I do it sometimes, but live to regret it always. In my opinion, it’s a gigantic time-thief, stealing at least 9-10 minutes I could be up spending with Jesus 1st thing in the morning. So for the Snooze and Snuggle to work, we set our alarms 10 minutes earlier. That way, we’re not losing time from our morning routines.}

The Snooze and Snuggle Plan is simple. As soon as the alarm goes off, hit the snooze button. Then scoot up next to each other and snuggle together until the alarm goes off again. We usually move into in the spooning position, put our arms around each other, and actually snooze for those few minutes. Thus: Snooze… and… Snuggle.

The benefits of Snooze and Snuggle:
1. A personal, intimate, physical contact and connection with each other at the beginning of the day. Dr. Gary Chapman, in his book The Five Love Languages, teaches that Physical touch is only one of the five ways people communicate and receive emotional love. The benefits of physical touch have been studied extensively, and researchers have found that human touch is essential for healthy emotional and physical development and maintenance of human beings. (Did you realize that skin is the largest bodily organ?)

2. Mutual benefits with minimal effort. No one has to talk. No one has to think. No one has to listen, perform, serve, give… yet you both are loving on each other in a way that draws you closer.

3. When your feet hit the floor and you are running in separate directions, you’ve already communicated your love for each other. There’s no need to wonder if your spouse cares about you or thinks about you… you’ve already spent time in each other’s arms and established that fact for the day.

4.  It's energizing to the day and to the marriage.  When the second alarm goes off, I'm personally more ready and filled to start the day.

5. And, I’ll admit, it is nice to have a few extra minutes to lie in the bed. :-)

Often, as I’m snoozing and snuggling in my husband’s arms, I use that time to thank God for my husband and to pray for him. By adding the extra element of prayer to the Snooze and Snuggle, I feel even more connected to my man, and it makes my marriage feel more connected to God.

It was a life-saver for us. It still is. I asked my husband what he had to say about the Snooze and Snuggle and this is what he shared:

“I don't know about everyone, but I am sure that most married couples don't sleep cuddled up during the night. If you are like us, we talk, pray, share a kiss, and turn to the other sides of the bed. Cuddling during the snooze time helps to start the day with a touch and a connection to someone you love and care about. Touch (one of the most important senses) seems to be the sense that is often neglected in most relationships. The acceptance that is communicated through touch speaks volumes. Starting your day with a cuddling snooze communicates acceptance to your spouse in a way that words cannot always communicate.”

Need I say more? Why not try this tomorrow morning? Set your alarm clock back 10 minutes, scoot over in the bed, and connect with your mate. Remember, a little of something is always better than a lot of nothing!

From one “Slow Cooker” to another~
Jennifer