Insomnia – Site Title

A Sleepless Night

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I haven’t been doing much writing lately, not because I don’t want to but because I’ve been overwhelmed with things that life throws at you when you least expect it.

The day is done but my mind refuses to accept that little fact. It is going and going and no matter what I do, it refuses to quiet down and call it a night. I’ve tried meditation, deep breathing, yoga, listening to the sounds outside and even listening to Chachi’s soft snoring but nothing is helping.

Here I am, feeling like an owl with the hoot missing! The unexpected things that showed up and needed my attention were irritating to say the least. My car needed a headlight replaced. It should have been an easy thing to do but it turned out to be a major hassle. The replacement part was hard to get and add to that the cost of 2,500 euros plus the time it took to get the part and I had a major headache and a half going. I got that done about two weeks ago. That was one thing done. Then I find myself staring at something else.

The washing machine was next. It just up and died on me! Well, actually it made a loud noise, there was the smell of something burning and that was it. I pulled the plug from the socket and wondered what now? Easy enough to fix, right? All I had to do was to go to the place where I get all my gadgets and have it replaced. Nope, it wasn’t going to be that easy. Little did I know that my trusted place was no longer in operation! What do I do now? There were other places but all quite a distance away. So, I went online. It was unbelievable. I did everything online, picked one out, placed the order, paid, and got it delivered the next day. It is up and running now. Problem number two down.

What’s the next thing? There is a superstition that goes something like this. Things happen in threes and it was about to hit me. I went to the garden shed to get something and noticed that there was a puddle of water on the floor. Looking up at the roof, I noticed that there were several dark stains indicating a leak. I asked the gardener to take a look and he confirmed that the roof had a major leak and needed fixing! Bummer!!! So, now, I have to find someone to fix it and if that wasn’t enough, we have rain in the forecast for the next couple of days.

No wonder my mind doesn’t want to settle down. It is on the alert for the next thing to happen. What next thing?!! That was number three, however, life has a tendency to skip a beat and throw something else in! I’m superstitious so I’m going to try this old wife’s remedy for bad luck. Get up at the break of dawn, pick seven different varieties of flowers, and pour them over your head! It’s supposed to chase bad luck away. Worth a try? Why not? I’ll give it a try.

Now that I’ve got my frustrations out, I’ll go give sleep another try. My mind says, “Good luck with that!”

Goodnight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.

What bed bugs? Is that the next problem?

Lord, have mercy!

A Sleepless Night

“The soul usually knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” Unknown

I came prepared. Meditation done, breathing exercises done, a hot cup of something soothing downed, had my shower, did my nightly beauty routine and with my favorite PJs on, I was ready for sleep when the phone rang. The voice on the other side said, “Don’t tell me you’re ready for bed already! It’s not even 9 o’clock!”

I yawned and he went, “Oh, you’re sleepy! Sleep well and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

I hung up to see Chachi, the cat, on his divan looking at me. He hates it when the phone rings. “WHO was that on the phone mommy?!!”

Turning off the lights, I prepared for a goodnight’s rest. My eyelids were heavy and I was ready. Expecting to be asleep in a matter of minutes, I waited for my mind to switch off. I waited and waited……then the tossing and turning began and the gale force strength winds outside didn’t help matters much either. Suddenly, thoughts, unwanted thoughts started appearing. They were rigged to go and I entertained each and every one of them as they appeared!

It was 2 a.m. and I was in the grips of insomnia land! Gritting my teeth, I turned on the TV but it was a big mistake. It was more fodder for an already overactive mind! I turned to my last resort. His eyes lit up as he saw me approaching. I picked him up and he curled instinctively as he cuddled closer, a soft purring filling the room. I felt myself relaxing and those unwanted thoughts flew out the window and to wherever they had came from. I was at peace again.

It was a short night but instead of my usual 8 hours, I got a couple of good hours of uninterrupted sleep with Chachi by my side. Morning came early and today will be a long one. I’m hoping that sleep will come without being coaxed into staying tonight. I can only hope.

The little guy in the fur coat is a “sleep inducer” amongst other things!

Have an amazing day.

Sleep, Where Art Thou? (Archives)

Ever laid awake all night and wondered why sleep is evading you? If you have, you’re not alone. Say hello to your comrade-in-arms. It started several months ago. Out of the blue, my sleepless nights appeared wearing bells and grinning from ear to ear and since then I go to bed with good intentions but alas, “sleep” is nowhere to be found.

After months of feeling like a walking zombie, I started looking for natural remedies to my sleep problems. I tried yoga and did everything that was asked of me short of turning myself into a pretzel and although yoga helped to keep me pliable like warm taffy, it didn’t help me as far as sleep was concerned. Next on my list was a warm cup of milk. Sprinkle some turmeric, stir it around to turn it into a golden delicious liquid and you’re good to go. Lo and behold, a miracle happened the first time I tried this magic potion. Half an hour later, I was sleeping like a baby and woke up feeling refreshed like a new-born with nowhere to go. However, this solution was a one-trick pony. The following night, this miracle sleep elixir had lost its shine and I was back to square one, looking pretty in my floral pyjamas but I couldn’t lure “sleep” into my bed.

A week later, a friend told me about guided sleep meditation videos on YouTube. Ah yes, YouTube, the guru on all things wrong with this world. I decided to give it a try. I spruced myself up for sleep with YouTube splashed across my TV screen. Let me tell you, the choices are plenty. There are videos lasting just 15 minutes and guaranteed to put you to sleep but alas they hadn’t reckoned on me. I am a tough cookie. There are also videos that go on for about 1 1/2 hours but by the time I made it to 1/2 an hour, I threw off my blanket in irritation and switched it off. I was wide-awake and sleep was nowhere to be found.

Finally, I read somewhere that deep breathing helps. I decided to give this one a go. What did I have to lose except that bug-eyed look from too little sleep. I approached it cautiously. I tried taking 5 deep breaths, each one slowly in through the nose and then out through the mouth. The trick is to take your time breathing in and out. After the fifth one, I felt myself relaxing. Oops, something was definitely happening. Next, I had to take five more breaths, this time breathe in through the nose, hold for five counts and release through the mouth. After the third breath, hold and release, I could see my Prince of Sleep approaching slowly. That night I slept like a well-fed baby. I tried again the next night and again it sent me off to La La Land in no time at all. Truthfully though, I have to add that it doesn’t work every night and some nights, it takes a little longer for sleep to appear but this method does work. I followed this up with the dead man’s pose. Taken from yoga, this has a propensity to totally relax you. Here’s how it works. Lay on your back on the floor or your bed, fully stretched out. Let yourself go, first relaxing your feet, then your ankles and so on until you reach your head. Work to let go of thoughts that enter your mind and reel it back in to your breathing. Easier said then done but with practice, this is a sure fire way to catch some zzz’s. So if you are like me, sleepless in bed or wherever you’re at, give these two methods a go.

Sleep deprivation or rather not sleeping enough is a big problem. It affects your health significantly. Sleep disorders have been linked to other factors such as stress, relationship problems, medical health conditions just to mention a few. What I do know is that if not treated, this condition can cause memory problems, can affect job performance and cause problems in your relationship. Some of the solutions I have stated above did not work for me but it might for you. All I can say is give it a try, who knows it may just be the right remedy for you.

“Good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.”