To Sleep or Not to Sleep
As the years pile up, sleep patterns can change. The reasons for this state of affairs are as varied as there are people. For some it’s recurring pain, for others it could be worry and stress, medication or depression. The list goes on and on. But being unable to sleep at times just proves that we are human. The question then becomes: what are you supposed to do about it? Or rather, with it?
My sister tells me that every so often she spends a whole night awake, unable to sleep. While I believe she may be awake for part of the night, she probably dozes off here and there without realizing it. She has a TV in her bedroom and she says she watches infomercials until it’s time to get up. I am of the opinion that she sleeps through many of them. In any event, having a television set in the bedroom is not a good idea because we may be tempted to watch movies or shows that may keep us on the edge of our seat—rather our bed—making it hard to fall asleep afterwards.
Sleeping when away from home can be a problem at any age. Many people cannot sleep, or at least sleep soundly, when in a bed other than their own often because the mattress is much softer or harder than the one they are used to. It is certain that we all get used to our own space. I live in the city, and two of my grandchildren live in the country. When visiting me one weekend, my young grandson was unable to fall asleep. It was a warm night and I had opened the window to let in fresh air, but at the same time I let in noise. My grandson complained that the neighbors talking on their balconies made it hard for him to sleep. He is used to complete silence, something I find difficult to adjust to when I visit his family.
Lack of sleep is no laughing matter, and a doctor should be consulted if it is the norm rather than the exception. You might simply need more exercise, and an after-dinner walk can do wonders for the body. Or your spouse may be a loud snorer or a restless sleeper and thus affect your own sleep. Because we tend to become light sleepers as we age, outside sounds such as an airplane, a loud car or thunder can wake us up without our realizing exactly the cause of the problem. To counteract such things, some people use earplugs, but I doubt that everyone would be comfortable wearing them to bed.
Some of the reasons we do not sleep well can be remedied once we become aware of what they are. We all need our sleep, and we can only be our best when we are rested no matter our age.
