I thought sleeping was a natural thing for the body to do at night and for the first 50 years of my life that was so. I would put my head on my pillow and in about 10 seconds I was sweetly sleeping. I would awaken in 7 or 8 hours refreshed and ready to go.
That has not been my reality for the last 10 years or more.
Yes, I do have nights when that happens but there are the nights that I can’t fall asleep or fall asleep and then awaken between 1:00 and 3:00. That would be fine if I would return to sleep in a few moments. And again, sometimes that happens and sometimes it does not. Sometimes I see 1:30 on the clock and that is the last sleep I get all night or about 3:00 or 5:00 I will get another couple hours.
You guessed it. I had a night like that last night.
I know that some of you reading this are nodding your head in agreement and others cannot comprehend this.
Sleep is a precious commodity. Not sleeping well over a period of time can feel like an illness itself because of the fatigue it leaves us with. Not fun.
Something I have learned is to not fret about it. I am lucky that I have a flexible schedule and I can rest in the middle of the day if I need to. Not all of you have that.
So how do we use that awake time as a mindful, conscious person?
These are some of the things I have done in the middle of the night:
1. I have tried counting sheep……seriously………one to one hundred. ( Of course, I just kept losing count or losing the sheep, I am not quite sure which)
2. I have tried every natural sleep aid there is and at times have resorted to Tylenol PM. The natural sleep aides have not worked. Tylenol PM will knock me out but leaves me groggy and thick headed. I don’t like that feeling.
3. I have watched episodes of my current fave program on my ipad
4. I have gotten up, gotten dressed and gone and got my groceries.
5. ONCE, I got up and went o WalMart at 2:00 AM…….now that was surreal, but I think I bought a crock pot
6. I have gotten up and done my yoga practice
7. I have done Reiki, particularly all the things that are supposed to put me back to sleep……….nada.
8. I have done tapping (EFT) on insomnia, not falling back asleep, etc……………nada.
9. I have done affirmations around, “I sleep deeply and soundly each and every night and awaken refreshed.” You guessed it…..nada.
10. I have journaled to put anything that is in my head down on the paper.
11. I have chanted
12. I have daydreamed
13. I have studied Spanish
- Sleeping like a baby!!
14. I have studied my cooking class lessons
15. I have read
16. I have given up caffeine and chocolate and anything else I think might affect my sleep
17. I have lain there peacefully just allowing my body to get the rest of relaxation
I think you get the picture……….my body sleeps when it wants to and it doesn’t care what I do to encourage it to go to sleep!! Do I understand it? Not in the least.
I do know that I usually sleep a “sleep cycle” (2 to 3 hours) even on my most sleep deprived nights.
It has improved over all and I am grateful for that.
So my question at the beginning of this was, “So how do we use that awake time as a mindful, conscious person? ”
Stay calm, stay relaxed, don’t fret.
Perhaps the answer is in the following article…. click and read, very interesting! And I may be over to visit around 3:00 AM
http://slumberwise.com/science/your-ancestors-didnt-sleep-like-you/
FYI…..I slept like a baby last night
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