To Sleep, Perchance….
January 31, 2007 by mrschili
Ugh.
I have not been sleeping well lately, and I can’t figure out why. I’m not unwell; there’s nothing in particular that is occupying my mind; my house is warm and my bed is comfortable and, in general, all’s right with my world. So why do I keep waking up around 2:30 in the morning?
It’s almost become a self-fulfilling prophesy: I wake up in the dark, then I’m frustrated that I’m awake in the dark and that frustration keeps me from falling back to sleep. So I lie there and think, or listen to whatever song is playing in a loop in my head (it’s currently “Driven to Tears” by the Police, in case you were wondering), and wonder whether I’m going to be doing this exact same thing in 24 hours. So far, I have - like clockwork.
It occurred to me this morning (at about 2:20) that there may be something that happens at around that time that actually DOES trigger me to wake - a passing train or a signal from the fire station down the street or something - but I’ve not been able to confirm that there’s any external reason for it. It’s just my body conspiring to make me crazy.
So far, it hasn’t impacted my mood too much; I’m trying to be mindful of NOT being a cranky so-and-so, particularly in the morning. If I can, I’ll try to sneak a little bit of a nap this afternoon, though my schedule is pretty jammed this week and a slot for napping may be impossible to find. I’ve got some tea that is supposed to be soothing; I might try a bit of that before bed and see what happens….
Don’t be afraid to get up and walk around, watch a few minutes of TV or put in the headphones and listen to some music or wake your husband up to talk or…er…whatever. Shake up the routine when you wake up and then go back to sleep. Since lying there isn’t working you never know what might reverse the process.
hot milk with a little honey, or “sleepytime” tea by Celestial Seasonings, or a crossword puzzle… orgasm with or without your husband… not necessarily in that order!
and here i thought if i made some wiseass comment about getting… um… tapped? i’d be the only one and look like some perverted s.o.b.!
on a less lascivious (sp?) note, sometimes just not thinking does wonders. I usually can’t get to sleep because I have too much going through my head. I can actually make a conscious effort NOT to think, and then i fall asleep fairly quickly.
One summer in grad school I accidentally discovered in a fit of insomnia that Sports Night was on Comedy Central at 2:35. Then I started waking up in time for it. It was the best streak of insomnia EVER.
i listen to the BBC in the middle of the night when i can’t sleep. The soccer scores from Manchester put me right to sleep.
I hate the insomnia monster because he unfortunately visits more often than I would like. Sometimes what works is self-hypnosis and other times I will get up to pee and wait until I am good and chilly before getting back under the down comforter so I can snuggle up and I hope, fall asleep. Otherwise I watch as 2:29, 3:31, 4:12 appear on my clock.
I wish you some good sleep, my friend.
I either microwave a glass of milk–who needs teeth? Or I write, in which case I never get back to sleep. But i sometimes have something to show for it.
Face it. Older people don’t need as much sleep.~,:^)