The Skill of Sleeping

If you don’t already know by reading former posts, I often suck at sleeping.  I am convinced that sleeping is a valuable skill that I don’t have.  There are way too many nights that I am exhausted but I lay awake in bed feeling like I’m hopped up on 2000 Red Bulls (I’ve never had a Red Bull) and my mind is whirring faster than Dash on the Incredibles.  It can be beyond frustrating.  (Then again, that is often when my creative mind is as its best.)

Although I haven’t tried any medicinal sleeping aids, I’m very near the point of desperation.  I need help sleeping.  I’m transitioning from the phase of denial to acceptance of that sad little fact.

I have tried various home-remedy methods:

 I drink milk before bed.  (Maybe it shouldn’t be mixed with Nescafe Ice Java?  It is divine though.)

I take a shower at night so that I’m warm when I go to bed.  (Being cold is another often present plight I deal with that prevents me from sleeping.  Even while wearing socks, my ice block feet can remain cold for an hour.  I can’t sleep with cold feet.)

I count sheep and I pray.  I usually don’t get past 20 sheep and in the middle of my prayers I find myself wondering if that shirt I want to wear on my once-a-week outing is in the laundry or not.

A friend told me about the method of laying on your back with your ankles crossed and your hands folded with writs crossed and twisted up so that your elbows are bent and your clasped hands are just below your chin.  Apparently the warped appendages confuse the brain’s ability to think properly.  I’ve tried it and I’m pretty sure there is some relevance to it.  When I lay like that my brain usually can’t sustain more than a one-sentence thought per topic at a time.  And then all I can think about is how uncomfortable I am.  I’m not a back sleeper and my wrists and ankles are terribly skinny and boney.

Sometimes I’m reminded about the yoga style relaxation method where you lay on your back, start at your feet and go through every single portion of your body meditating on letting them feel heavy and relaxed and asleep.  I’ve tried that and by the time I’m trying to relax my knees, my toes are already wiggling. 

My sister in law introduced me to a slightly different version of the above yoga therapy.  She suggested that instead of starting at my feet, I start at my head and work down.  I can vouch for the fact that it’s impossible to sleep with a clenched jaw and lifted shoulders.  So, as of now, this relaxation method is the one I rely on most often.  And I must say, it seems to be most helpful for me.  However, I tried it tonight and I’m still back in lounging clothes, sitting on the couch in the basement with my computer on my lap.

This post really has no point to it.  I apologize (and feel sorry for myself) for writing and sharing a post that lacks in a miraculous cure for lack of sleeping skills.  I guess I’m searching for a companion in my world of semi-nocturnality.  And, if anybody has any tips or suggestions, I’d be very happy to receive them. 

Off to go to sleep, attempt #2.

*I wrote this post a few weeks ago and failed to edit and post it until now.  I’m happy to report that I’ve been sleeping quite well recently!  However, I know sleep lapses will inevitably return and I still invite any hints or advice for sleeping well!