A few months ago, someone spoke in church about discovering what keeps us up at night. His idea was that this would help us identify our most prominent personal obstacles or challenges. Tonight as I lay sleepless, I have made a list (since I'm great at making lists) of my most common snooze-robbing culprits.
- Reviewing events of the day, whether good or ill.
- Fear of having a dream involving the loss of all of my teeth. This is quite literally my worst nightmare. It visits me at least once a week.
- Neighbors/Roommates. Nothing more to say here.
- Caffeinated painkillers. I'm a firm believer that if Midol can't fix it, it doesn't exist. Except, of course, for insomnia.
- Concerns for my future.
- Regrets from my past.
- Anxieties about current happenings. (Work, family, relationships, politics...)
- Heartburn. Thank you, family, for the acid reflux.
- Frustration regarding my inability to sleep. Counterproductive.
- Miscellaneous. This is the category for all the dumb things like to-do lists and obnoxious song lyrics that keep my mind from winding down properly.
A certain friend of mine would just tell me to take an Ambien. Maybe, though, there are things to learn about myself when I have nobody else to talk to.
3 comments:
Learning about yourself is overrated and after YEARS of laying awake learning about myself I have embraced the Ambien way out.
You should try just like walmart brand sleep aid gel tab things. They are cheap and usually work for me. That or Tylenol pm. My doc actually prescribed me the generic form of xanex (sp?) a while ago and that helped tons and doesn't make you loopy like the ambien does. I have the same problem of not being able to shut my brain off at bedtime. So there are my suggestions! I think if I made a list of what keeps me up at night, it might be quite similar.
Oh and for the heartburn, seriously go buy Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar. You can get it at GNC or even just the grocery store probably. It is disgusting but I had GERDS pretty bad and after drinking a swig of that stuff a couple (2-3) times a day for a while, it has totally cured my reflux! I haven't had to take anything for it in like a year! Hope this novel I have written is helpful! ha ha
I try to avoid solutions involving medication (except for inflamation of the joints--that's Aleve's job!) and if I'm having difficulty sleeping, I go to the front room and quietly do a quick 10 minute excercise routine (running in place, jumping jacks, push ups, crunches, leg lifts, etc). It helps me relax and I am usually able to get to sleep after that. Unconventional, but it works--much better than watching TV or blogging! :P""""
I understand though, Ami. Anxiety over things I cannot control (like Sunday night, when the 9ers just could not finish the game--it took me a long while to get to sleep because I was so angry!) keep me up, whether they are important or not (and yes, I know the 9ers are not "important", but I'm a fan, so what can I say?!).
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