Sleeping: that’s what I don’t always do so well. I fall asleep just fine, but after 3 hours or so, its touch and go. I often wake up and then, I have trouble going back to sleep.
I have tried most of the usual healthy aids: a glass of warm milk, light exercise, meditation, a relaxing bath, wearing socks to bed … I have also tried every sleep medication on the market. All have the same not-so-effective result: I wake up before I’ve had enough shut-eye.
A nice strong drink or “dot-dot-dot” will ease me into Dreamland, but as
I’ve said, getting to sleep isn’t the issue – staying asleep is.
Counting sheep, visualization, biofeedback… none of that has worked… I even tried hypnosis. ¡Nada!
So, OK… what do I do once I’ve woken up, and I’ve realized that returning to sleep mode isn’t happening?
Sometimes I get up. Sometimes I stay in bed and listen to an audio book or music; I don’t usually check my email, I don’t work on my book or other writing projects. I try not to strain my eyes.
But once the ear buds start to feel irritating, I sometimes draw or I blog – like I’m doing now.
It’s 03:21 and I’m going to go brew some of that “Sleepy Time” herbal tea… whatever!
WRITING FROM MERIDA 
Aaah…isn’t mid-life grand?
Oh, I know what you mean!
You, too?! I suffer the same, but I often awaken at 90 min. intervals. It’s terrible. I’ve lots of theories, but will only offer one here–the thing that helps me go back to sleep the fastest is also what I’m now most lacking here–humor. I used to watch “Everybody loves Raymond” and easily fall asleep, peacefully. Then, if I’d wake up and if I could catch “David Letterman,” the same thing would happen. I’d set the TV timer to sleep, watch, smile, and fall back asleep. With the death of the sponsoring network, most of these programs are now unavailable to me.
I believe it’s because laughter, or even smiling, are wonderful antidotes to what some of us insomniacs do otherwise–worry about what happened, what will happen, what needs to be done, did we misspeak… and on and on. In other words, stress.
I’m hoping that as internet TV advances, I’ll someday be able to watch my favorite TED.com pieces, AND my favorite YouTubes, EASILY, without doing too much geeky-stuff, or without relying on a machine which will probably wake me UP when it turns off!
More good advice… oh yes, sleep is a wonderful thing! Can you imagine being one of the lucky people who never has to worry at all about whether or not it will happen? Internet TV… it is already here. I want to get a technology coach to show me how to access these things… maybe you’ll join me?
Would love to, Joanna. Thanks. No matter what I decide to do (e.g., await the rumored revision of Apple TV?), it will be helpful to understand all the options better than I do now.
OK Alinde, after I get back from the writers’ conference in San Miguel, I am going to actively search out a coach… we’ll figure this all out yet!
Hi Joanie! I’ve been walking every day and recently took up “Zumba” classes and I’m sleeping like a baby! I make sure that I don’t drink any caffeine too close to bedtime and read to make my eyes get tired. When I turn off the lights I think about what I will do the following day…what I’ll wear, what I might cook etc. I do have occasional times when I will awake and have a hard time getting back to sleep. When this happens I get up, either drink some hot water or watch a movie on my computer then I fall into a heavy sleep into the late morning. You probably have a lot on your mind, but you have to try and keep your thoughts very simple and not too complicated. Also there are several sites on the net under “home remedies” for sleeplessness you may want to try…persist at it as one of them may just fit your needs! Good luck, ciao for now…(PS. “Gung Hay Fat Choy”…Happy Chinese New Year!! love Jade:)
Ah Jade you’re so sweet… I have tried lots of things but not the hot water… “Gung Hay Fat Choy” to you too! Maybe you will come see me this year?
That’s one good thing about the cold. It’s great sleeping weather. Other than that, I can’t think of many benefits of being cold.
we seem to suffer the same malady. my head hits the pillow and I am out like a light, but after about 4 hours I am tossing and turning.
I find that a benadryl sometimes works, but the next day I am not so great!
So what do I do, I roll and toss and try to convince myself that I’ll get back to sleep, then after about an hour I just get up – and read blogs – thanks for being here for me this morning.
abrazos
Debi
Ay mi amiga… I think what happens is that our brains never turn off! Glad to be helpful… misery loves company, right?
Hot… cold… even that can’t be blamed because I can turn my AC on or off. I have every solution at my fingertips… I am lucky, except that none of them are very effective