I Can't Sleep, June 5, 2014

Why Can't I Get Back To Sleep?

Early Morning June 2, 2014

One of the issues which can really frustrate me at times is battles with sleep.  I have all sorts of them. Sometimes I cannot stay awake, other times I cannot sleep at all, maybe I cannot fall asleep easily, I can have trouble waking up, or I can walk around in a semi-awake haze.  This morning, I woke up at about 2:30 am, and I did not have the help of my neighbors for a change.  I tried to go back to sleep, but it simply did not work.  So, I got up and started doing things, hoping to tire enough to get back to sleep.  What did I do?

First, I got up and looked around.  I thought about playing a game for a while, but my computer was not connecting to the internet.  I looked around more, and saw I needed to do some cleaning up.  I decided to start collecting any paper I needed to throw away, mail I needed to open or file, etc.  I did this for about 30 minutes, and made a nice dent in the mess.  Have I ever mentioned this is one of my major struggles, and I do not understand how or why this can be?  It felt darn good, but when I tried to get back to sleep, I still could not sleep.

Second, I thought, "Okay, maybe a nice warm shower will relax me.  Besides, the heat is good for my back.  I do not know why the muscle relaxers have not left me asleep tonight.  [I an recovering from a car accident.]" The shower felt really great, and though I felt more relaxed, I still could not sleep.

Next, I decided to take a walk.  Since I cannot sleep, I might as well enjoy the time.  A hot cappuccino sounded like a good way to treat myself, so I walked to the nearby truck stop, went inside, and tried to get some coffee.  As luck would have it, several of the dispensers were empty, so, instead of getting upset, I made a mixture.  I seem to be good at mixing things, particularly mud.  I only took a few dollars with me to make sure I did not overspend.  After buying the drink, I looked for other options.  "What, no sausages or hot dogs?  What are these people thinking?"  I could find nothing, so I came back to my hovel.  

When I walked in, my dog, Sara, was telling me, "OHHH, HI MASTER!!!  What'd ya bring me?  Huh Huh Huh?"  I tried to get her to be calm, but she was not going to have it.  If master gets to take a walk at 3 am, so does she!  So I took her for a walk.  Now she is all curled up snoozing.

Obviously, since I am writing this at 5:38 am, I did not get to sleep.  I decided to write about not sleeping and check what has been going on in my FB groups.  Hopefully, after reading, you realize that sometimes when you cannot sleep, getting up and doing something is a healthy thing to do.  Perhaps it will allow you to get back to sleep, but, if not, instead of laying there dwelling on the fact, getting up and doing something can be helpful and healthful in many ways.  Of course, treating yourself is good anytime, just remember to do things in moderation.  What can you do when you cannot sleep?