From Me To You... It is now 3:51 a.m. I have been trying to sleep since 1:26 a.m. and I hate to give up but I have things to do tomorrow - today really. I never have a problem falling asleep but staying asleep, that’s the challenge. I can be woken by any of a number of little things. From needing to go to the bathroom, a storm (thank you monsoon season), leg cramps (my particular favorite), or even a dog licking his paw by my bed. At this point if a moth flaps its wings outside my bedroom window I think I would be up. Once awake I rarely get back to sleep before 4 or 5 a.m., only to be awakened once more by the household starting their day at 6... I have tried any number of sleep aids to nod off again, apps that soothe, candy that crushes, books, meditation, muscle relaxation techniques and more - but once my mind is up it is up. I thought of starting a group online where others could share their stories and perhaps band together to solve crimes during the night. What else should I be doing at 3 a.m.? I could always go to my office (conveniently located downstairs) and get some work done, but then my day is messed up and it will just encourage the perpetuation of the problem into the next night. I will report back tomorrow and let’s see what happens...
back to relaxation techniques and accepting the fact that this may be my life for a while.
Luckily I have a job where I can set my own hours and take that nap, but most people cannot. Unless you live in Spain. Now they have the right idea - shut down the country for two or more hours every afternoon and take a siesta. Apparently it actually makes people more effective and productive at work and I can see how that would be true. I maintain that nothing good comes out of my office after 11 a.m. No matter how much I try and drag it out there is no way for me to be productive unless I nap. I think I should look at this insomnia as my body making me take afternoon naps without guilt. On that note, it is now 3:05 p.m. and I think the couch is calling my name... see you in a couple of hours!
Catherine Uretsky Editor, Up The Hill Magazine info@estrellapublishing.com 623.594.9283
So last night I bit the bullet and took a sleep aid before going to bed. You know the one, it promises to make you go to sleep and stay asleep, waking the next day bright and early, ready to conquer the world! So? Well I did fall asleep and, although I woke briefly, I went back to the land of nod quickly and easily. The problem is I am not bright eyed and bushy tailed. I am woozy and lethargic. My ridiculously strong coffee helped for about half an hour but now I feel the wool gathering in my head again. I definitely see a nap in my near future. I guess I will chalk that one up to ‘buyer beware’ and go 4 Estrella Publishing - Up The Hill magazine
September 2021