I feel like I'm always suggesting old obscure books...
I once heard someone say "wherever you go, there you are". I thought it was clever and funny so I repeated it a couple times to my daughter over the years. She saw a book with that title in a used book store and joke gifted it to me.
So eventually I started to read it. It's a self-help mindfulness tome. Bit of a slog, very repetitive and very eye-rollingly simple. About 3/4 way through I thought "what the hell" and just let go and sank into the droning message without resistance or judgement.
In a nutshell, there is no future and no past. And the present is only what your body and senses are telling you Right Now. No, Right Now, no, right now, etc. Just this exact evaporating moment.
Anyway, I have a long history of sleepus interruptus and much to say about it (theory and experience), which I won't get into now.
But I tried the no-future, no-past exercise over and over. It's very hard to do and absolutely requires surrender. The first time I thought I was finally getting it, I woke up 3 hours later completely refreshed. And amazed.
I do it occasionally now when I really need this night's sleep and I find it works for me.
I only practice occasionally because other times I embrace the sleeplessness for its own value. Much to say about that but not now.
I wish you all the very best in your quest for restful sleep.
My sleep problems started when I was 8, and have taken various weird paths for different reasons.
I’m now 63, and once in a while I have a really good sleep. Most nights I don’t, but I’m much less worried about that now. I just laugh at all the articles correlating consistent sleep with longevity, intelligence and good judgment, good memory, etc etc etc. I guess I’m screwed! Oh well. I feel your frustration, and I hope you find some things that work for you. And I’m really really sorry about the long COVID. Take good care Ms Feisty. Love to you, your hubby, and your sweet pup, from a retired librarian. You do sooo much good in our world in spite of your challenges.❤️
I am a borderline insomniac - I sleep, but do it badly - and have been most of my life. The Mrs has also suffered, though she is able to identify the point at which it became a real problem - being prescribed prozac. So I can sympathize and know exactly what you mean. Fortunately for me have never remembered my dreams. I wake up thinking, "that was weird", but the more I try to put the dream together the further the details slip. Go figure.
I started taking melatonin years ago, and at first figured that if 3mg was good, then 5 or 10 would be better. Fortunately I was recently informed that excess doses can actually result in a sort of sleep hangover, where waking up is hard. Now I'm only taking 1mg and while results remain to be determined, it seems not to have any bad effects.
When I graduated from SFU, I silently dedicated my degree to Augusta lePaix (sp?), Brent Bambury, and David Wisdom. They stayed awake with me as I read, did assignments, and wrote papers through the nights. (CBC late night programming, on what was then called CBC Stereo, began just after I started. Brave New Waves and Nightlines kept me from falling asleep over some of the MOST boring stuff I was required to read for my BA!)
Truly sorry to hear about your sleep issues. Lack of sleeps affects so many other aspects of your life. I’ve found as I’ve gotten older I have a harder time getting to sleep than I used to unless I’ve been particularly active that day. I so enjoy your posts on what used to be called Twitter. In another life I would have followed my second passion to be a librarian. And I adore your many dresses! Take care.
Re: Sleep.
I feel like I'm always suggesting old obscure books...
I once heard someone say "wherever you go, there you are". I thought it was clever and funny so I repeated it a couple times to my daughter over the years. She saw a book with that title in a used book store and joke gifted it to me.
So eventually I started to read it. It's a self-help mindfulness tome. Bit of a slog, very repetitive and very eye-rollingly simple. About 3/4 way through I thought "what the hell" and just let go and sank into the droning message without resistance or judgement.
In a nutshell, there is no future and no past. And the present is only what your body and senses are telling you Right Now. No, Right Now, no, right now, etc. Just this exact evaporating moment.
Anyway, I have a long history of sleepus interruptus and much to say about it (theory and experience), which I won't get into now.
But I tried the no-future, no-past exercise over and over. It's very hard to do and absolutely requires surrender. The first time I thought I was finally getting it, I woke up 3 hours later completely refreshed. And amazed.
I do it occasionally now when I really need this night's sleep and I find it works for me.
I only practice occasionally because other times I embrace the sleeplessness for its own value. Much to say about that but not now.
Wherever you go, there you are.
By Jon Kabat-Zinn 1994
Ray
I read this at 5am. An hour before the alarm goes off, and I've already been awake for 90 minutes. :(
Relatable.
I wish you all the very best in your quest for restful sleep.
My sleep problems started when I was 8, and have taken various weird paths for different reasons.
I’m now 63, and once in a while I have a really good sleep. Most nights I don’t, but I’m much less worried about that now. I just laugh at all the articles correlating consistent sleep with longevity, intelligence and good judgment, good memory, etc etc etc. I guess I’m screwed! Oh well. I feel your frustration, and I hope you find some things that work for you. And I’m really really sorry about the long COVID. Take good care Ms Feisty. Love to you, your hubby, and your sweet pup, from a retired librarian. You do sooo much good in our world in spite of your challenges.❤️
Thanks Linda, and solidarity in sleeplessness.
I am a borderline insomniac - I sleep, but do it badly - and have been most of my life. The Mrs has also suffered, though she is able to identify the point at which it became a real problem - being prescribed prozac. So I can sympathize and know exactly what you mean. Fortunately for me have never remembered my dreams. I wake up thinking, "that was weird", but the more I try to put the dream together the further the details slip. Go figure.
I started taking melatonin years ago, and at first figured that if 3mg was good, then 5 or 10 would be better. Fortunately I was recently informed that excess doses can actually result in a sort of sleep hangover, where waking up is hard. Now I'm only taking 1mg and while results remain to be determined, it seems not to have any bad effects.
When I graduated from SFU, I silently dedicated my degree to Augusta lePaix (sp?), Brent Bambury, and David Wisdom. They stayed awake with me as I read, did assignments, and wrote papers through the nights. (CBC late night programming, on what was then called CBC Stereo, began just after I started. Brave New Waves and Nightlines kept me from falling asleep over some of the MOST boring stuff I was required to read for my BA!)
Brave New Waves was awesome! I do take the strongest melatonin but found the less strong ones did absolutely nothing.
Truly sorry to hear about your sleep issues. Lack of sleeps affects so many other aspects of your life. I’ve found as I’ve gotten older I have a harder time getting to sleep than I used to unless I’ve been particularly active that day. I so enjoy your posts on what used to be called Twitter. In another life I would have followed my second passion to be a librarian. And I adore your many dresses! Take care.