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Monday 10 October 2011

Burning the Midnight Oil

The lovely Spock has nothing whatever to do with this post (no change there then), but I have the picture in my file and as it is about 1.30 am and I can't sleep, I felt like a quick peep at his beautiful ears.

Well you know how weird I am by now!

Sometimes insomnia can have its benefits.

The wind is currently rattling the blind on the one and only open window - soon have to shut that one too - and the noise is reminiscent of scurrying feet.

Odd how strange ordinary sounds become in the wee small hours.

Just an averagely boring day despite a good service this morning - no, I mean yesterday morning - the rector having returned from retreat in fine form and a goodly number of children for him to 'play' with.

I made a brief foray into the gale-swept garden and fought briefly with an unfriendly rose bush.  Too windy to stay out for long so gave up, as is my wont.  Sorted  my linen cupboard for want of something better to do and discovered I have an enormous collection of old but still good bed-linen to dispose of.  Now I have no excuse I'll have to find an organisation which needs or can use it.  Wish I hadn't started.

Next sorted glassware cupboard.  Have enough glass to stock a small shop.  One of the problems of being a magpie.

Settled to watch Downton this evening, thoroughly enjoyed it but felt wide awake instead of ready for bed. Ominous sign and sure enough followed by midnight perambulations.

It's times like this I wish I lived in a really huge house, at least there'd be somewhere to walk round.

Thirty years ago I'd have dressed and gone for  a walk.  Wouldn't even consider it these days.

I might have to think seriously about taking on another moggy since they are naturally nocturnal, perhaps  we could be bored and wide awake all night together.  The only problem is he or she could make up for lack of sleep by day, while I have to live what passes for a life these days.

No, not a mog then.  Perhaps I could move in with a colony of bats.  One more would scarcely be noticed.

Normally I don't read my posts, I finish them, press publish and away they go, warts and all, but reading this for a change it reads as though I've finally lost the plot.  Or as though I'm 'on' something.  Perhaps that's the answer to insomnia, not sleeping pills but something like wacky baccy?

I know that when it's time to get up (if I were not already up), my baggy eyes will be ready to close and the dawn will feel distinctly unwelcome but that wouldn't really matter if my brain would operate efficiently.
Unfortunately as my day begins my one remaining 'little grey cell' shuts down and reasoning and logic become Olympian feats while a sense of humour is a totally foreign concept.

If anyone has any suggestions  which might help I'd gladly consider them.  Decent ones only please.

8 comments:

  1. I keep a DAB radio by the bed and now, rather than get up, listen for a while and then drift off again. Before that would have meant up, tea, tv and munching and crashing about six for an hour.

    Never slept much - used to be bed at two or three and up by four - these days go earlier but some nights do three/four hours!
    Baseball world series approaching - a good distraction for me.

    Pax

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  2. What's a DAB radio?
    In the distant past I used to listen to Radio 4 or even further back Radio 3 (then the third programme) but don't want music at night - doesn't feel right, and have completely lost the habit of using a radio at all.
    Might be worth a shot, but feel physically restless so don't know whether simply lying there would work.
    The only sport I'm interested in is cricket and it's a long time before the Winter Test starts.
    Thanks for the response Vic.

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  3. I could come up with suggestions like sleeping pills or Nightol (a herbal remedy) which works for me.
    But since you've been a life-long insomniac, why fight it?
    Try to pray. Try to listen to the Gospels on tape while lying down so your body rests. Listen to classical music lying down and resting. Pray some more.
    Work on a project or your blog. Leave blog comments to encourage someone else.
    Try to "redeem" the insomnia and turn it into something positive for yourself and others.
    Don't fight it. There is probably some good you can bring out of it. I would use it to get into the Gospel of John, which is easy even on an insomniac night.
    Blessings,
    Anita

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  4. Anita Hi.
    I take it you didn't read my reply to Vic van Den Bergh's comment?
    Lying down and music are definite no-noes.
    And of course I do write blogs and comment on other people's in the middle of the night.
    I am I think, probably too restless to pray but I will give it a try.
    Thanks.

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  5. I so sympathise .I have had some better nights recently since my last bout in the summer. I pray for people thro the alphabet usually and am usually asleep by t. Sometimes I get up and make milky decaff coffee, look at Tweetdeck(for Twitter) and try again.Last week I finally got back to sleep about 4am and slept till 8am, so at least was thankful I did not have to go to work. 4 hours is good.Next time I am awake in the small hours I will see if you are on Twitter yet .

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  6. Hi Margaret.
    Praying through the alphabet, now there's a thought.
    Glad you are currently getting some respite from the sleep thief.
    Twitter? Not on your life!

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  7. Sorry to hear of your night-time troubles. Taking to the keys and zooming something off into cyberspace might be one way to cope. The trouble is that sitting in front of a computer is not conducive to sleep. My tip is to read favourite people's journals or diaries; biographies tend towards sleep as well. I don't like to think of you roaming around in the night, though you don't seem too distressed and that is a blessing. Take care of yourself.

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  8. Freda, thanks for your concern. I don't really (I was going to say, lose any sleep over it) duh!
    Seriously, it is such an old problem if there were an easy solution I'd have found it by now.
    I don't really stress about it at night, it's just several bad nights in a row tend to leave me brain-dead by day. Yes, I know, there are those who would say it has nothing to do with sleep deprivation.
    Anyway, as a friend at work used to say when she
    had lost the plot, "it will all come right in a million years, and if it doesn't it won't worry me"

    ReplyDelete