Yes, I know that at 10:50, it's not that late to be claiming I have insomnia. But I also know that I'm not going to sleep in the next hour and a half. And if every night since I've been out of the hospital is any indication, I'm not going to sleep once I go to "sleep" anyway. Actually, the last night at the hospital, I didn't sleep either. And who knew the nurses check on you every hour or so in the hospital? I certainly didn't while I was still on the morphine drip. The last night, the nurse finally commented at four am after I had greeted her with a wave at every hour "you're a light sleeper!" I should have said, No. I'm getting insomnia.
The problem is that at 7 am, I've finally gone back to sleep and the last thing I want to do is wake up and be bright eyed and bushy tailed. Bushy haired, I've got down. Bushy tailed makes me want to slap somebody.
The other issue is that Things Are Going On. Folks, when I don't blog, that is exactly the time that you should assume that the interesting stuff is happening and I'm not telling you about it. I really hope that in the next week, I can tell you all sorts of exciting things. But until it's settled, I don't want to "suppose" or "hope" or "babble like a drunken sailor." Or more accurately "babble like a sleep deprived prisoner."
Speaking of people who might have opinions about Guantanomo Bay, did you know that Bill Clinton was in my neighborhood last weekend? I don't mean "Clinton was in Charlotte" which he was. I mean Bill Clinton had lunch on Friday at the Thomas Street Tavern (.8 miles from my house) and then spoke at the VFW (.5 miles from my house). My local Harris Teeter is between Thomas Street and the VFW. That is wild!!
We're more of an Obama household, if you care to know. And considering that Dave and I are on opposite sides of the street, figuratively speaking, I think that says something. Nonetheless, knowing a prez was within spitting distance of the McDonald's that is within spitting distance of our house is kind of exciting. Dave's comment is that he was disappointed to learn that Clinton had the Un-Sweet tea (not "unsweetened" tea....it's called Un-Sweet tea in the south) for lunch, because Thomas Street has the best regular (i.e., sweet) tea in the city of Charlotte.
Yes, that's where we are in the TMZ-Ization of this world. We don't support your wife for president, but dude, you should drink the sweet tea.
Anita, Hah! This post really has it all -- suspense, drama, sleepless nights. I can hardly wait for the next installment.
ReplyDeleteWe too are a politically bi-polar household in which the staunch Republican (who shall remain nameless but has never varied his vote in the 41 years I've known him) has been enthusiastically glued to the tube for every Obama speech and has admitted "it might not be a bad thing at all for this country" were that man to be elected President.
Oh, and speaking of presidents...you had one in the neighborhood (and fie on him for passing up your sweet tea!)...turns out the man who was recently elected President of Taiwan is someone whose hand I have shaken. Yes, really! I was wildly excited when I realized that. He of course would never in a million years remember *me*, but I would bet actual money that he remembers the occasion. He's a very nice man :-)
Insomnia is most often caused by anxiety. Many people deny that they have anxiety because they think of it as a character disorder. It isn't.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that whatever caused the anxiety in the first place becomes displaced by anxiety over not being able to sleep.
What I've discovered is that setting the radio to a talk type station and leaving the volume very low all night beside the bed works to get me to sleep and keeps me asleep. It works like bedtime storytime does for kids. Music doesn't work because we can 'think over' music. It's a bit more difficult to blank out the human voice.
I've discussed this with a neurologist patient of mine and she was intrigued. She is recommending this to her insomniac patients to see how it works for them.
Even though the volume is set so low that unless I try hard to hear it, my brain is aware of the fact that there's a human voice going on. I don't get to a point where I am consious of being awake. I think that when the sleep lightens, the radio prevents the blab blab of the thoughts and encourages the brain to go back into sleep.
And of the off chance that I do wake up, I listen to interesting interviews from Radio Australia (haven't heard that for months and months) or the news from Africa or Eastern Europe. The worst stuff, hands down, is the lullabye collection from Russia.......awful stuff.
Oh, I've got CBC overnight radio on which has a selection of overseas radio. Great stuff. Sleep or learn something cool... or realize you are listening and then Zzzzzzz......
gk
Hey Anita,
ReplyDeleteBenadryl helps me get to sleep sometimes and it's even SAFE!!!
Kathy
We too are mosting likely not voting for the same person person for prez. However I do have a letter signed by president Clinton, he thanked me for 20 years serice in the Air Force. How cool is that!! Sleeping has never been a problem for me, I can fall a sleep at the drop of a hat, I have been known to fall to sleep when we are talking about the days events as we lay down at night. Sorry I have no advice on how to get to sleep fast.
ReplyDeleteDying. To. Know. about the Things Going On that your other commenters have tactfully ignored.
ReplyDeleteInsomnia sux. BTDT, do it all the time, despite the late nights, wakeful babes, etc.
Pacing.
ReplyDeletePacing back and forth in front of the computer monitor.
Why? Do I think it's going to spit fireworks when she posts the exciting news??
I know "in the next week" doesn't even come close to meaning "by the end of this week", but still.
Pacing counts as good exercise, right?