So happy together?

Tags

#menopausehumour, home, humour, sleep

My bed. I used to be in love with you. We’d spend hours together on Saturday morning ignoring the world outside. When I didn’t feel well, when I was sad, when I was lonely, you were always there for me. We’d dream of distant places and lost loves, of adventure and chocolate! Before we’d even said goodbye for the day, I’d miss you. I would spend my waking hours longing for the moment when you’d embrace me again.

We were perfect for each other.

But I’ve changed, and it’s tearing me apart.

When I look at you, I desperately want it to be like it once was. Just you and me. You’ve got to believe me. Every night I hope that tonight will be like it once was, but it never is.

I wake up in the middle of the night and I can’t get back to sleep, and though you are holding me, it doesn’t feel right. My body aches in places because it’s not fitting right, so I toss and turn. The blankets are twisted around me and I feel trapped.

Or worse, I’m so blessed hot I feel like I’m going to melt right through you until I’m only a puddle underneath you. As if catching on fire during the day isn’t enough. And you! You just lie there. You promise escape and sweet release, but instead I find myself caught in a nightmare in the dark. Alone.

I used to consider the alarm clock a jealous whore because it was always trying to break us up. But lately, I find myself awake and waiting for it to sing to me. I stay up too late, avoiding that moment when bliss becomes Blah.  In the morning, I cling to you until the last second, but I don’t find the joy in our time together.

I’m sorry.

Colin Powell says “A dream doesn’t become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”. I’ve got the sweat covered, and I’m determined and willing to make us work again. Are you willing to work hard to get us back to where we once were, because I still love you, you know. In fact, let’s start today. I’m committed and willing to do whatever it takes, day and night, all weekend long. Our relationship means that much to me. I want to sleep with you tonight and wake up next to you. I want to cuddle with you right now. What do you say?

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

Happy Together, The Turtles, Written by Alan Gordon, Garry Bonner • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Carlin America Inc, BMG Rights Management US, LLC

Morning Torture

Tags

humour, sleep

Rolling out of bed this morning felt like torture. The room was dark and I was so sleepy and toasty warm under the covers…and I knew I had a long, brisk walk in the arctic blast before breakfast.

Torture might seem like a strong word, but that’s what scientists are calling waking up and starting work before 10 a.m. A friend posted this article on Facebook so it must be true! Dr. Paul Kelley, a leading researcher at Oxford University, calls it “the most common form of modern day torture”. By waking early, we interfere with our bodies’ circadian rhythm, our genetic cycle regulating our brain activity, energy and hormone levels.

Did you know…

• it is recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep/night
• if it takes you less than 5 minutes to fall asleep, you’re sleep-deprived
• There are more than 70 diagnosed sleeping disorders… and the list is growing

It was the introduction of an 8 hour work day early in the 20^th century that manufactured this form of torture. As a result, we are an increasingly sleep-deprived, caffeine-fueled, physically and emotionally drained society, with increasingly adverse, long-term health consequences.

When we sleep, our bodies work to repair themselves. Our brains go through a neurobiological process that sorts through our memories and tucks the keepers in long-term storage compartments. We’re also more likely to have a clear head, which makes retrieving memories and making decisions easier. Our reset brains also reset our emotions so we’re less likely to fly off the handle. Without listing the full gamut of emotional, physical or mental, long or short term, and I quote directly from the February 2014 Mensa Bulletin, the American Magazine for Mensa (pp.22-27), in an article written by Lisa Van Gemert,  “not getting enough sleep makes you tired and stupid”.

Did you know…

• men are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel than women
• new parents lose between 400-750 hours of sleep in the first year
• humans sleep less than primates

No wonder it feels like torture to get out of bed in the morning!

My walk home this morning was less intense because the wind was at my back, and parts of my body were numb. I kept myself trudging forward with visions of stripping down to 1 layer of clothing and crawling under a thick blanket when I got home, thawing my chin over a cup of steaming tea, and taking a nap. Except…

Did you know…

• are only good if you can take one daily; otherwise it’ll mess with your sleep pattern.

Sigh…None of this information is going to help me sleep tonight, or make my morning less like…torture? Happy Monday!

 

Insomnia

Tags

humour, sleep

I’ve had a few too many late nights. I crawl into bed, more than ready to sleep, but sleep  evades me. It’s not just that I have trouble going to sleep, but that I also have trouble staying asleep.

I hear every little noise, including the picture frame across the room that ticks when the freight trains roll by (sometimes those freight trains rock the bed too!) or John Denver & the Muppets blasting Track 1 (The 12 Days of Christmas) from Little Guy’s room, through my closed door…and it’s set to “repeat”!

I always sleep with the door closed so that if someone is coming to kill me in my sleep, I can hear them coming and I can fight back.

I worry about silly things like…

• spiders laying eggs in my ears
• what to wear to work in the morning – something that makes me look skinny, but is also comfortable, and doesn’t clash…and is clean…
• who’s going to win the stalemate – me or my bladder

I can come up with the best retorts to snarky people and bad drivers at 3 a.m.

I can also re-live those horrible moments, like my boss stalking me in the bathroom…

I never sleep in a room with a ceiling fan or in a bunk bed. I wake up kicking and screaming because I think either a) the fan is falling on me; b) someone is standing over me. Whenever I have one of these flailing episodes, no one comes to check on me. It’s disturbing…so then I spend the night having a “pity party”!

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I think I’ll go eat worms!
Big fat juicy ones, Eensie weensy squeensy ones, See how they wiggle and squirm!

And then I can’t stop singing…

I struggle to find a comfortable position…

…and like a rotisserie chicken, I have to keep rolling over so my joints are equally achy in the morning.  Then there are distractions, like the red light on my alarm clock, a red beacon similar to a Kenny Roger’s Roasters sign (Mr. Marbles, is that you?), or that one hair tickling the tip of my nose (I hope that’s a hair and not a spider – see worry #1)

And finally there’s the constant wrestling match over temperature control…socks on or socks off?

In the middle of the night, I get a lot of productive worrying done. I’ve written some of my best blog posts, emails and rants. I’ve also successfully argued my “case” in whatever “Drama” in which I am currently embroiled, but I am too tired to get up & write it down.

By morning, my moment of brilliance fades like the morning mist.

Insomnia wouldn’t bother me so much if I didn’t lie awake worrying about it.

Photos courtesy of 23 Inside Jokes You’ll Only Get if You Can’t Sleep

For Whom the Bell Tolls…

Tags

family, humour, musical beds, sleep

“Therefore, send not to know. For whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.” – John Donne

In my case, it tolled for me!

It was just after midnight and the rain had started in earnest. The wind lashed it against the windows. I was having trouble settling to sleep. And as it cleared, and I drifted off, I heard the familiar pitter-patter of little feet and the door swinging open. It was Little Guy in tears because he was also struggling to sleep. I encouraged him to crawl in and watch the lightning fade off in the distance.

I woke at 2:00 in the morning when Little Guy yelped in his sleep and kicked me in the shin. Then his nose started whistling, a steady serenade that kept me awake, so I moved to the couch.

I woke again at 5:30 when someone ventured to the bathroom, though I had rolled over a few times in between, having woken from twisted dreams. I won’t share what they were because I don’t want to be committed. It was then that I noticed the solitary and mournful clang of a single note, the repetitive and solemn clang as the morning breeze brushed past the wind chimes outside.

“Therefore, send not to know. For whom the bell tolls…”

I knew I should get up, that the singular refrain would keep dripping into my brain like water torture, but like my cat many years, I dug in my claws. Big Guy, as a toddler, used to try to pull the cushion out from under the cat while she napped, and she would make every effort to remain on her perch for as long as possible. I held on to my cushion too.

But eventually, I picked up my bed and walked into Little Guy’s room and crawled into the bottom bunk. First I turned off the ceiling fan and unplugged the night light. I can’t sleep in a room with a running ceiling fan and I have difficulty sleeping in a bottom bunk. I wake up kicking and screaming, thinking someone is standing over me. And as I drifted off to sleep once again, I heard a bell…

Little Guy woke me at 6:30…just to let me know he went to sleep afterall. So much for sleeping on my vacation. I hate playing musical beds – I never win!

A Mini Vacation(or a woeful night of wakefulness)

Tags

family, holiday, humour, sleep

I seriously considered holing up in the hotel bathroom with my laptop for a few hours last night just to keep from turning into an enraged Wookie* It wasn’t that sleep evaded me…it was all the forces working against me.

Last night we Hubby, Little Guy and I stayed in a hotel, literally 5 minutes from my parents. We watched new Looney Tunes cartoons on Teletoon (something we don’t get at home) from big beds with puffy pillows, and we went for a swim. The pool was comfortably warm and the hot tub was blissfully hot! Of course the trip in between was a bit embarrassing…I had the choice to wear knee-high boots or hot pink polka-dotted fuzzy socks with my bathing suit. I took the stairs!

We walked to the restaurant across from the parking lot and asked if we ate in, would we be finished before 6? Little Guy wanted to watch the last Shrek movie (me too!) and our waitress was very helpful. We made it back with time to spare!

Little Guy and I shared one queen-sized bed, while Hubby had his own. By 9:30, we were all tucked into bed. Little Guy was pretty sure we could share my side of the bed. He kept shoving his knee in my back, and tucking his hand under my pillow…wasn’t the movement that bothered me…it was the rustling under my ear. Snuffling every 4 seconds…I know…I counted…then I did the math.. Every 4 seconds equals 15 times a minute, equals 75 times in 5 minutes…and he was awake for at least 45 minutes…so that equals… 675 times before he finally fell asleep!

I put in my ear plugs and plunked a squishy pillow over my head (to try to hold the ear plug in – they never stay). Then the noise in hall started…I checked the dim digital clock…it was 9:42!

At 9:44, Hubby started snoring gently. When the urge to weep became overwhelming, I called out to him and he answered me, “I’m not asleep”!

Soon after, the loud talking, door slamming merry makers of many ages multiplied…and someone overhead started playing tag in army boots. I glared out the eye hole for several minutes, afraid that if I opened the door, I would unleash a torrent abuse on every passer-by! By the time I stumbled back to bed, one eye was used to light while the other was used to the dark…it was extremely disorienting. And Little Guy had crawled further into my spot. Do I give up and start rocking in the bathroom? Instead, I went to his side of the bed and pushed (straining my back and wrist) to get him further into my side, so I could crawl into his side). More thumping and banging overhead and next door… my nose started to whistle…was this night ever going to end?

I started contemplating death… I don’t think about death often…after all, the time and place, and the manner in which I die are not determined by me. We are all going to die at some point and I’m not going to waste time worrying about it. That being said, last night I had this thought: if I have to die by drowning, please Lord, let it be in a hot tub with the bubbles on!

Somehow the night passed…but not before I was scratched, punched, kicked, pushed, raked and groped by Little Guy. It got worse when I faced Little Guy so I stayed facing the wall…which made my hip ache on that side. I also made several trips to the bathroom (because when I can’t sleep, my body thinks I should be doing something). My ear plugs made my ears hurt…but were otherwise ineffectual. And I spent a large part of the night hugging my own side of the bed and grasping the corner of the blanket over my shoulder lest Little Guy, who was practically sleeping sideways, take it all!

The alarm rang at 8 a.m. and Little Guy slept through it. It’s amazing how all the evil forces diminish in morning light and my woeful night of wakefulness seems more like a bad dream…I can catch up on sleep tonight…or can I? Little Guy and I will be heading back to my parents for another week, and with my brother and his family visiting, we will have to share a room a few more nights. I may end up sleeping in the laundry room with the guinea pigs…at least they sleep at night!

(*Wookies are short-tempered so when angered, can fly into a berserk rage that will not stop until the object of their distemper is sufficiently destroyed. – http://starwars.com/explore/encyclopedia/groups/wookiees/)

Love, Sweat + Gears – Part 2

Tags

chocolate, faith, humour, laugh, sleep, tea

Getting out of bed Saturday morning…extremely painful! It didn’t help that Little Guy fell out of bed just before midnight. It’s one of those sounds in the middle of the night that can wake me from a “dead man’s” sleep – my feet hit the floor (just before my toe hit the bed post) as I blindly ran into Little Guy’s room. I asked him if he was ok and he answered, “Yeah but I wasn’t expecting that”. I also heard “thud thud thud…bang!” just before Little Guy tackled me around 2 a.m. because he’d had a bad dream. I asked him if he was ok and he answered, “Yeah, I’ll just sleep with you”. Fat chance!! We snuggled for a few minutes, then I started to tell him about when I was little and how I had to be really scared before I’d knock on my parents’ door because my Dad was scary grumpy…I guess the sound of my voice was irritating him because he wanted to go back to his own bed. Note to self: Start with the story and maybe I can tuck him in and go back to sleep faster!

I managed to stumble to my car in the dark (I don’t think I keyed my car too many times trying to find the lock), picked up someone else who needed a ride (who had been up since 5 because he is a morning person), resisted the urge to chuck him from the car, and headed to Tim’s for an XL steeped tea (the cup was approx. 7″ tall and got me through the first hour). When I got to the church, I found out I had been demoted from registration to kitchen staff. Yeah…I didn’t have to talk to strangers! Initially we were told that there were only 3 of us but we ended up with 9 volunteers, giving me more time to “decorate” the kitchen with my ravishing beauty [insert hysterical laughter here].

I reminded everyone (after the hot chocolate incident) that I was going to be blogging about this on Monday, so they behaved…mostly! We made hot chocolate around 8 a.m. but it was challenging. The instructions were simple: so many tbsps of powder to so many parts of hot milk (we were using hot water) …but we were mixing it in a huge Rubbermaid© jug. As one sister was getting the measurements for it from her Dad over the phone, the other sister was joyfully tossing powder and boiling water in the jug. Then she dropped a kettle lid in the jug and it sunk to the bottom of the brown abyss. It took two of us fishing with a giant wooden spoon and a pair of tongs, to liberate the lid from its murky depths! Next, taste test: one girl thought it tasted like play dough, Big guy thought it tasted like straw, and I thought it tasted…a bit nutty! Big Guy thought this was hilarious…and then I also caught the reference and we both started laughing so hard that we were gasping for breath, our faces were beet red, and the tears were streaming. Everyone was looking at us and I could tell from their eyes that their thoughts had gone far beyond genuine confusion, to shock and horror. It was embarrassing, but we couldn’t stop. Now, I have to interject here; otherwise this is just a garbled rendition of one of those “you had to be there” moments. First, Little Guy’s top front teeth are sticking out at odd angles because they are getting loose, and I have (very quietly) been referring to him as Austin Powers. Secondly, have you seen the movie, “Austin Powers”…when they’re in the lab…and he thinks he’s drinking coffee but it’s not…? Maybe you just had to be there!

What else happened…? This year we made the grape juice with cold water, not warm water… definitely an improvement! One guy asked for directions to the bathroom and we lost him… Someone had found 2 beautiful cats in the ditch when setting up the night before, so we were trying to find them a good home…Little Guy liked them and I liked them (I knew Hubby would never agree). And I am pretty sure the guinea pigs we just agreed to adopt (and who arrived Sunday afternoon) would not like them. So during a quiet time between jobs, someone started looking up “awkward cat pictures” on the internet. The winner was a naked couple with their cats strategically placed…I mentioned “I hope the cats are declawed”…while someone else piped up, “at least the cats are good looking”…at least I wasn’t the only one who was insanely giddy any more…

I realize none of this has anything to do with the fact that we registered and served over 250 riders, or that close to $55,000 was raised to support displaced, vulnerable or exploited people. I’m just hitting the highlights from my corner of the event, but overall I’d say we all had a good day! Yeah baby!

NB: For those who didn’t catch the Austin Powers reference, I did find a clip of it…It’s short but there is a bit of language…and it will likely make you groan!

On Being Creative

Tags

creativity, sleep

“Creative people as those who take bits of information from stores of memories, knowledge, and skills, or the environment around them, and combine them in novel ways”. – Shelly Carson, psychology lecturer and researcher at Harvard University.

Most of us don’t classify ourselves as creative, and the older we get, the more likely we’ll underestimate our creative abilities (…or is it that we’re more likely to give up the naïve notion that we’ll leave our mark on the world?). But author Jonah Lehrer says, “It’s a myth that creativity is a rare gift possessed by a lucky few. It’s a universal trait. We all have it, and that means we can all get better at it”. Yeah, there’s hope!

Both hemispheres of the brain are involved in the creative process: The right hemisphere is interactive and emotional, while the left hemisphere is orderly and detail-oriented. Scientists can now pinpoint when someone has a “light-bulb” moment by a burst of activity in both hemispheres. While some of us are wired to have original ideas, Carson says “we all need to recognize our creative abilities and exercise them…through practice and learning…The more stuff floating around in your cognitive workspace, the bigger repertoire of things your brain has to combine in original ways”.

But how to do it? First, gather information and explore the world around you. Push your boundaries and dare to be a bit fearless (I started this blog – does that count?)…

Once you have stocked up on information, relax (I like this idea) Our brains can only sift through so much information if you are too focused on an idea, or too plugged into external sources, like the internet. It’s tempting to throw out an idea before we have had time to fully process it. Ideas flow better when we don’t feel judged. Keep paper handy because when our brain is relaxed, inspiration comes and goes quickly. Does that mean all those scraps of paper with notes littering my house can actually help me organize, understand, and build on my ideas? Cool!

Finally, find your own creative process. Some of us work best after an aerobic workout (not me), first thing in the morning (not me), or right before bed. Hmm… I’m tired after all this research and writing…so I think I’ll take the “right before bed” suggestion and change it to “take a nap first”. Maybe I’ll wake up and feel creative…

References: How to boost your creativity: 10 tips from best-selling author Jonah Lehrer, by Sydney Loney, Chatelaine Magazine, August 2012

Unleash the Power of Your Mind: Four Women Who Have Done Just That, by Sydney Loney, Chatelaine Magazine, August 2012

 

 

 

Jiminy Cricket

Tags

bugs, humour, sleep

Anyone who uses the expression, “I slept like a baby” should be shot! Ok, that seems a bit harsh – forgive me. I didn’t get a good night’s sleep…thanks to Jiminy Cricket. Normally the sound of crickets chirping outside would bring back memories of the long dark nights at my Grandmother’s house in the country. The crickets, joined by the tree frogs and bull frogs, would lull me to sleep long before the moonlight crept across the floor. But last night, though there may have been many crickets chirping cheerily, they sang in unison…one note…very loud!

I am cursed with being a “light” sleeper, meaning I hear every little noise. I’m also cursed with a nature that NEEDS to know what exactly is making that noise. It seemed ridiculous to sleep with an electric fan on beside me when it was so deliciously cool outside, so I opened the windows.

I managed to get to sleep despite the inconsiderate, self-centred teenagers on my street. I don’t think all teenagers are inconsiderate or self-centred, but the ones on my street take great delight at standing half a block apart and carrying on conversations well-above “outdoor” voice level, and with as many expletives as possible to make sure you’re paying attention. I usually sleep through the freight trains (they rock my bed if they’re heavy enough) and thankfully, there were no drag races, late night parties with screaming kids, crying racoons, cats in heat, or dog choruses. We’re pretty sure the drug dealers who lived on our street have moved to another location. And our neighbour is finally feeling secure enough in her home to turn off the lamppost in her front yard, so my room was no longer as bright as mid-day. But Jiminy…Jiminy was game to serenade me. From the bedroom, it sounded like he was in the front flower bed. From the bathroom, at the back of the house, he sounded like he was in the back garden. I considered putting on my winter boots and going for a stroll in the garden, front or back, but I haven’t had great luck when I go outdoors in my pjs (see Sexy Pjs )…and there are enough strange people on my street without adding myself to that list.

I turned on the fan, medium speed to drown him out…then put a pillow over my head…but he just got louder. It was as if we were mentally connected and he was employing psychological warfare. Eventually I gave up, closed the window, and left the fan on…but he made a fatal error…he jumped on me when I was doing some weeding in the front flower bed. He may have won that battle, but when I return from our mini vacation, I’m going to win the war!

Friday Night’s Musical Beds

Tags

camping, family, humour, sleep

Friday night was a busy night, but the game of “musical beds” was not the kind where little kids crawl into one bed and force one or more parents out. I have always let Little Guy (and Big Guy when he was little) crawl into bed with me when they were afraid, but they rarely get to stay there the rest of the night.

My Mom was here this weekend, a trip that almost didn’t happen. My grandfather has now been in the hospital for over 9 weeks and her time has been consumed with hospital visits, appointments with professionals, packing and renovating my grandparents’ home to sell, as well as being sick enough to require IV antibiotics. Every day has become “laugh or cry”, so I was really glad that she could come up for a change of scenery, if nothing else. My Dad also came up with his truck and trailer with deliveries, but kept going for a guy’s weekend with Big Guy!

Friday night was beautiful although it cooled down overnight. So Hubby and Little Guy camped out in the tent. For a long time, Little Guy thought camping was sleeping on the floor. Last year, I camped out with him for one night, but we pitched the tent on my parents’ raised deck. So Friday night, Little Guy stayed up until 9 p.m., and then he and Daddy headed to bed! It was still light out.

I put Mom in my room in case the guys were up early with the birds, while I crawled into Little Guy’s bed. I fell asleep pretty quickly, once I turned the night light off. It was around 1:20 that I woke up to a strange sound. I am not the kind of person who can just ignore strange sounds – I have to know what they are! Turns out, it was my Mom snoring…I was glad that she was getting a good night’s sleep, but now I was awake. Hubby’s bed was covered with books and clothes, and frankly, it wasn’t far enough away. What to do? I crashed on the couch.

Our couch is not the most comfortable for sleeping. The windows were all wide open, however, and the sound of cars and trains (and the drag race) provided “white noise” for sleeping. If only I had brought another blanket with me. The one in the living room was scratchy wool and not warm enough. Don’t tell him, but I pulled one of Little Guy’s tricks…I pulled the arm I wasn’t lying on inside my shirt and went to sleep. Of course, when I rolled over, I had switch arms. The newspaper arrived at 3:09 a.m. The birds started singing at 5:00 a.m. They quit around 5:30, when my cardinal began his solo. My alarm, which I thought I had turned off, went off at 7:10 a.m. It was then that I moved back to Little Guy’s room, and where he crawled in with me (with cold, wet feet from the dew on the grass) around 8! Hubby had been awake since 5 a.m. and apparently, Little Guy snores too!

Hubby asked Little Guy to let me go back to sleep, before he crawled into the bed in the basement where it is cool and dark. Little Guy tried to leave me alone, but every 20 minutes or so he would tiptoe in to snuggle with me, to read me a story, or to simply tell me he loved me and kiss me on the cheek. There are worse ways to start a Saturday morning.

Is too much sleep bad for you?

Tags

shopping, sleep

If too much sleep is bad for you, then am I in trouble! I think I slept most of the weekend away. I made it to the car rally Friday night with Little Guy. I also made it shopping with Hubby for a new TV stand – shopping with Hubby is like going on a covert operation: Get in, Get your item, Get out. No window shopping allowed! Otherwise, I was too sleepy to do anything else.

Some studies suggest that individuals who sleep less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours on a regular basis are actually at greater risk for mental and physical decline, which can lead to early death. A 2002 study showed that you can age your brain by up to seven years! My brain doesn’t need help getting any older!

So how do you get a good night’s sleep? The advice is simple enough. Don’t go to sleep later and expect to wake up in the morning earlier. You’ll want to sleep in …If you do have to change your schedule, get to bed as soon as possible and wake up at the same time. Going to bed doesn’t always have to mean early, just enough to get 6-9 hours of sleep. And the secret is quality sleep too – not just quantity. Apparently I’m guilty of hitting the snooze bar…which is training my body to stay tired in morning. I used to sleep on the train and I found that my body craved a nap within an hour of getting up…I’m not sure I’ve ever really broken the habit.

Stick to the same morning routines even on the weekends (guilty again – I love to lie in and snooze under the covers). Whatever your morning routine, get your blood moving, like going for a walk. It’ll let you clear mental cobwebs left by sleep and settle into wakefulness. Hydrate and exercise through the day, and avoid caffeine later in the day. Caffeine can affect you up to 12 hours. Similarly, avoid drinking water or other liquids in the hour before bed.

I usually have a snack before, preferably a small bowl of cereal…but apparently they recommend that your stomach have something in it before bed – not too full and not too empty. And nothing too sugary! That’s good news for General Mills and Post – I’ll help keep them in business.

Wear appropriate clothing – and don’t forget your feet!

Sleep in a dark room, and if possible, use a white noise generator. I find, particularly in the summer, that I sleep well when I turn on the large square fan by my bed. The combination of the noise and the breeze on my face knocks me out quickly. I can’t, however, sleep in a room with a ceiling fan. I wake up screaming, thinking it’s falling on me. I’ve had the same reaction when I sleep in the bottom bunk…TV and music overnight is too great a distraction (I usually start singing along).

And when you do wake up in the night, roll over. Be sure to keep your neck and back aligned. Pillows shouldn’t be too tall or too flat. If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your knees to support your hips. If you sleep on your back, rest a pillow under your knees. And never sleep on your stomach.

As for me, I’m tired from all this research, but I’m not going to have a nap. I’m going to get busy, maybe get groceries for the first time since Easter…then maybe I’ll have a nap. I have, after all, been sick for over a week and maybe I just need a couple more winks.