Ernest Hemingway said, “I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?”

I love sleep too, and last night I got a tiny amount. Lucy first needed to go outside at 2:00, ending my peace on the pillow. She went back to sleep, and I didn’t. My vast sleep wisdom failed: 2:00, 2:07, 2:28, 2:31, and 2:39, until I finally got up at 3:25, fixed coffee, and said the heck with it.

I saw a quote online, and I can’t recall it exactly, but it went something like, “When I can’t sleep, my brain becomes chaotic with full-color details of everything wrong I’ve ever done or said.” The rerun movies kept churning, turning, and burning in my head. The expression, “Don’t
sleep with the devil” had a twisted meaning.

I’m not the only one with sleep issues; I’ve only heard one person say, “I never have trouble sleeping; I’m gone the minute I hit the pillow.” I looked at her with suspicion and distrust. Maybe she was an alien?

I have written about insomnia, the #1 sleep disorder defined as the inability to fall or stay asleep. I can list the many reasons for people having trouble sleeping: caffeine, alcohol, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, stress, and worry, to name only seven.

I can also rattle off many ideas on how to fall and stay asleep: an entire body relaxation exercise, soft music, envisioning my brain as hollow, focusing on my breathing, imagining melting into the sheets, a consistent bedtime routine, and the last resort, promising to get out of bed and scrub the bathroom floor with a toothbrush if not asleep in ten minutes. I would like to know what works for you.

Sometimes my tactics work. This early morning, they didn’t–not one.

Sleep is necessary for a healthy body and mind, so don’t stress over where or when you sleep. Taking a nap does not rob your night of sweet dreams. If you sleep better in a chair, do it. When you have the luxury of being a passenger in a car, it’s okay to lean back and take a snooze. Nobody said your optimum seven to eight hours of sleep needed to happen in the dark, in bed, and during one continuous stretch. Catch it when you can.

It’s now 6:25, and I’ve got a full day ahead. When the lamp goes dark tonight, I get another chance and hope the insomniac devil leaves me alone.

Until the next time: Live while you live.

Jennifer Goble, Ph.D., LPC, is the author of “My Clients…My Teachers,” and the blogger and writer of Rural Women Stories: www.ruralwomenstories.com.

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