Insomnia anyone?

I don’t know about you but I do remember a time when I could fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and then sleep for eight or nine hours without waking up. Ah the days! Unfortunately as the years speed by sleep patterns change.

            As we add more candles to our birthday cakes, falling asleep as soon as we get into bed is often only a dream, a daydream that is. As you lay there trying to sleep, sometimes it is difficult to shut off your thinking. The movie you just saw keeps you wondering if an earthquake in your city could really happen. Or you keep thinking about your medical scheduled for the next day and begin to fear bad news. Or you wonder how to find out who walked through your flower bed.

            Fortunately there are all sorts of things that can help. Deep breathing is one that can let your cares and worries drift away with every breath. Or you can listen to tapes to help you meditate and forget the rest of the world. Personally, I am a firm believer in laughter to bring on sleep. I listen to late-night comedians, and there is no question that the more I laugh the more soundly I sleep.

Sleep hygienists tell us that having a couple of drinks before bed to help with sleep can be tricky. The reason is that we may wake up during the night with a very dry mouth requiring a glass of water and then being unable to go back to sleep. People who enjoy some warm milk instead of a couple of drinks before retiring may have the right idea.

Of course, as we age most of us reach a point where we wake up during the night for a required trip to the bathroom. That in itself is not a problem. What can be however is our inability to go back to sleep.

            Don’t you find that being awake in the middle of the night is a breeding ground for dark notions? Your thoughts spiral in your head: Did I forget to lock the front door? Does the cat have worms? Does my grandson have a bad cold or is it something more serious? How come I have a pimple? Can’t be acne; maybe it’s a tumour! Aaaagh!

            What to do when your worrying mind keeps you from going back to sleep? A no-no is certainly looking at the clock so the depth of your problem is clearly in front of you. “Ohmigod, I’ve been awake for almost an hour. I’ll never go back to sleep now.” From my experience that makes it worse.

            A ninety-year old I know says she always wakes up after three hours. She simply reads for an hour or so until she feels sleepy again and can be in the arms of Morpheus for another three hours.

Many people read when they can’t go back to sleep. It is something I have done myself, but it has to be something interesting but not so involved that it keeps you awake—perhaps the dictionary?? 

Of course, the best thing is to simply lie in bed daydreaming about something you wish for yourself or those you love. You’ll soon be asleep and your mind will be full of pleasant dreams.