I've brewed a cup of tea, in hopes the warm chamomile will ease my work weary mind into numbness. There is nothing disturbing nagging my thoughts, no recent lapses in judgement, or worrisome upcoming decisions. I am simply wide awake at midnight. If it was Thursday night, it wouldn't be bothering me as much, as I have Friday off. Instead, I have a teacher workshop all day tomorrow. I guess, if I have to be sleepless, it is better to be heading to a district directed work session on teaching reading interventions in a few hours, than facing 27 fifth graders who got more sleep than I did! I don't really have to be "on" tomorrow . . . I just have to be present.
Sleep hasn't come easily to me for quite some time. I can't remember when I slept through the night without waking up two or three times, and utilizing the facilities at least once. I'm sort of used to interrupted sleep patterns. But usually, I've fallen asleep by now. Tonight (well, now it's last night) I read until about 10:45, and though I wasn't nodding off, it seemed like turning out the light was the right thing to do.
I drifted for awhile, a few songs playing in my head, (don't ask which ones, as I can't remember!) and some random thoughts about blogs I read just before calling it a night. Mostly though, I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable or fully relax, with my eyes wide open. I still don't feel tired, even though logic tells me that I certainly should be. I've been awake since five am, and in less than 4 1/2 hours it will be that time again!
Nikki, my black Lab, was snoozing in the living room when I walked through. Once she realized I was up for longer than a drink of water, she moseyed into the family room with me, and is now snoring soundly a few feet away. She has no trouble sleeping, or getting back to sleep when disturbed!
There are a million and one things I could be doing, and at first I toyed with working on a project, but I don't really want to be that awake. Writing is about all I really want to do, although even that is boring me now, as it probably is boring my readers!
To save us all, I think I'll answer the call of my book and read until I drift off to sleep.
What do my blogging friends do when they can't get to sleep?
PS ~ I want to thank those of you who left such uplifting and supportive comments regarding my last post. Reading your words of encouragement was heartwarming for both Kailyn and I. She truly feels she made the right decision. For the next few weeks she will hang out at school with me, and finish sorting and organizing in her bedroom (much needed!). This weekend, we are going to work on our plans for visiting Europe in June and hopefully book our flights. It helps that she's been there and has some ideas about accommodations and transportation. Kailyn is looking forward to spending her 21st birthday with her sister, Jessica, in Bellingham. The following weekend she will head back to Central for spring quarter.
I'm not a good one to ask. I haven't slept through the night for so many years I can't remember. Menopause sent me into full-blown insomnia where I'd be awake for stretches of up to 36-40 hours at a time. Fibromyalgia had been sneaking up on me for years, too. My body, in general, has taken me hostage. I have little or no control anymore--over when I sleep, how long, how well, what I can or can't do, and for how long. I'm not a good one to ask--LOL!
ReplyDeleteBut, I do know several women who developed sleeping problems due to hormone levels and one due to thyroid. If it persists, maybe you could check that out. Keeping it quiet and reading used to do it for me back in the day--but it had to NOT be a really good book--ROFL!! ;) Best of luck at the meeting! :)
This happens to me sometimes. It doesn't help much that my husband is laying beside of me snoring away:o) When this happens I just can't seem to turn my mind off. Luckily this doesn't happen too often.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandi, First I want to apologize for not being around much. It just seems lately that I just can't win with the health issues. I am hoping things will turn around for me now and maybe this year will be better!!
ReplyDeleteI have had trouble sleeping for years as does my husband. We attribute this to age. We remember our parents complaining of the same thing as they got older. I take something to help me sleep. Since my first stroke two years ago, something went off in my brain which kept me up all the time. Before that I never had a problem. My husband can't take anything as he is a truck driver and what they are allowed to take is limited.
Still there are nights I don't sleep well and wake nearly every morning at 3:30 to use the bathroom! Most of the time I can fall back to sleep. When I just can't though I watch a bit of t.v. then shut it off after a half hour and usually can drift back off.
It's so hard to shut off the thoughts that go through our minds sometimes. Reading is great for that. Sometimes I play Angry Birds! But lack of sleep is so bad for our health. Have you thought about trying something natural like Meletonin? Either way hopefully it is only temporary but I know how horrible it is when we haven't had enough sleep. Being a walking zombie all day is no fun!
Good Luck to you, hopefully tonight will be better!
Love Di ♥
I take a melatonin tablet (3mg) every evening, which helps me drift off to sleep. I also get up a couple of times every night to use the bathroom. It can't be helped. Usually I fall right back to sleep and wake at 5:00am no matter when I went to sleep. I feel a bit guilty that I don't have much problem sleeping, but when my car was broken into and I was so upset, I couldn't sleep for several nights, tossing and turning and worrying.
ReplyDeleteI'm back to normal now, having slept eight hours and feeling pretty rested. It is true that we don't need as much sleep when we get older, but it varies so much from person to person.
I saw a tv program on this subject and it seems far more women have this problem than men. I think it starts with childbirth and those years of partial sleeping and listening for those cries in the night. Finally, when they leave home, menopause hits snd sleep comes at intervals of 3 hours. Meanwhile, men have been snoring through the years with nary a problem.
ReplyDeleteI have resorted to medication. It has helped enormously and I have found that my health has improved because I am getting a good night's sleep.
I try to keep the same bedtime each night. I go to bed at 10PM and am up by 7AM. If I have something on my mind I do have trouble sleeping sometimes. When that happens I usually get up and take a med prescribed by my doctor for anxiety and that does the trick.
ReplyDeleteDear Sandi,
ReplyDeleteThree years ago I began to sleep soundly again--except for those bathroom risings!--after four years of sleeplessness in which I might sleep 8 hours out of every 48. Two things finally helped me sleep with more regularity: 1) a moved from a place where I had begun to feel unsafe. 2) I began to say a mantra slowly within myself. Letting myself feel embraced within the softness of each word. The words are as follows: "And all shall be well. And all shall be well. And all manner of things shall be exceedingly well." (This was first said by Julian of Norwich hundreds of years ago.) Those words slow down my thinking and bring sleep.
I hope that the meeting goes well and that you sleep soundly tonight.
Peace.
I hate sleepless nights. I hope your training went well.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am retired, I do have to be awake when I babysit my grandson 4 days a week. I just let nature take its course. Sometimes, I nap from 9-10 pm, wash the dishes, do some blogging, then go to bed around 12 midnight. Sometimes, I wake up at 3 or 4 am. So, I usually get around 4-5 hrs of sleep per night with no napping during the day. Good enough. I think worrying about it will make you feel worse. Just relax and when you are really tired, you will fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I do have a rule that helps me sleep. The computer and the cell phone are not used after 9:00 in the evening. I think the stimulation from the screens really causes me not to sleep.
ReplyDeleteI have been listening to the Bible and that helps to relax me and get my thoughts off of my troubles.
I also have resorted to medication that is prescribe for anxiety. I only take half a dose and only when I am anxious and can't sleep.
I think when we have so much on our minds, we just can't seem to turn the old brain off. I used to do this a lot when I was teaching. During those days, I would just get up and read and try not to worry about how tired I would be the next day.
Think of this way: you will surely sleep during that boring inservice. ;) Hang in there.
many wonderful comments here. If everyone wakes between 3 and 4 in the morning we should all get together for a tea party! :) this always fascinated me until finally I found out that around 3 a.m. the liver cleanses itself, hence we tend to need to go to the bathroom around that time. I try not to eat anything 3 hr. before bed and that seems to help sometimes for lessening the amount I wake to go to the bathroom. also recently I found out that a person can have 'silent acid reflux' and that can cause a waking in the night.
ReplyDeleteone comment that stuck with me though and that is what Retired English Teacher said about the computer. I believe it is a stimulant and therefore I am usually not on it after 7.00 p.m. valerian root is also a natural sleep aid.
hope your day goes well and that you have a better sleep tonight!
I hope you get better sleep tonight...I agree with Hope..we can have a tea party and the computer is a stimulant . Hang in there and take care .
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that you almost always sleep better the next night. I've had more than my share of these nights, as well. I usually read my way through them. I love the idea of a virtual tea party for those who find themselves up at that ungodly hour.
ReplyDeleteHope your sleep issues are getting better. I have the "restless leg" thing every once in a while along with the 3am bathroom run! I wish I had some great help to offer, but sorry, I don't! I'll think of you next time I'm up all night though and maybe that tea party will have one more person!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandi, I'm weighing in late here, but my MD who practices Integrative Medicine suggests 3-5 Mg of time-released Melatonin. I also drink chamomile tea (which is probably why I must go to the bathroom in the night). I read in a later post that you're already trying both of these. After taking the Melatonin a few nights, try not taking it and see what happens. I really had sleep issues after my heart attack, but seem to be getting back on course. I sometimes take the Melatonin and sometimes skip it, esp if I feel extra-tired and think I don't need a sleep aid.
ReplyDelete