Finding the Good in the Not-So-Good
In keeping with my most recent post about partying, I just have to tell you a very brief story about something I had the opportunity to celebrate the other day:
I had a horrible night’s sleep!!!
Why is that worthy of a celebration? Let me tell you.
Each of us has our stories of either not being able to readily fall asleep and/or falling asleep but waking up a few hours later and not being able to fall back to sleep, thereby starting ones’ day at an absolutely ungodly hour. I have experienced both, but the first sleep malady has not been an issue for me for many, many months. That was my first reason to celebrate.
My sleep routine always involves listening to a positive, 20-minute guided meditation wherein I usually fall asleep half way through. But the other night, four meditations later, I still hadn’t attained slumber. I tossed and turned, getting frustrated by my inability to sleep, totally disregarding the sleep hygiene advice every sleep expert gives: get out of bed, go elsewhere in your home and read or do something other than counting down the number of hours remaining before your day has to begin. If you stay stuck in bed, you’re also stuck in the anxiety-laden arena of non-sleep where just wishing you’ll eventually fall asleep simply does not work. Why? Because that’s all you’re thinking about and what you pay attention to will only grow.
After a period of three hours of non-sleep, I finally got out of bed and went elsewhere in my home to read thereby changing the scenery and giving my mind something else to concentrate on. I was no longer not sleeping in my comfortable bed, I was reading a book as though doing so was the most perfectly normal thing to be doing at two o’clock in the morning. Climbing back into bed an hour later, I managed to catch a few hours of sleep. That was the second reason to celebrate.
But that’s not all! I actually had three reasons to celebrate as a result of that yucky night’s sleep: I also successfully made it through the day-after, without too much struggle!
Mind you, I’m retired and therefore didn’t have to be super diligent during the day-after’s activities: I didn’t have to operate heavy machinery or get up in front of a classroom or a boardroom and string together cohesive sentences for the benefit of others, but I did manage to do some Holiday gift shopping with my husband and plow through a pile of laundry accumulating in our house without damaging anyone in the process.
Yep, all was well, and I lived to tell about it.
Living: the ultimate team sport 
November 12, 2022 at 6:47 am
That’s a great way to look at it. I agree about the thinking trap when you stay in bed and all you can think about is falling asleep. I recently woke up after a few hours sleep and tossed around until I finally got up and read. Then I fell asleep again and I wasn’t too tired the next day!
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November 12, 2022 at 8:54 am
It’s truly amazing how that works. Now it’s my go-to each time it happens and each time it works, and as you said, the next day isn’t a total waste; somehow we make it through!
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November 12, 2022 at 5:02 pm
It’s true you do and usually the second night is a great night’s sleep!
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November 11, 2022 at 2:45 pm
I read once that just lying still in bed gave you 80 percent of the benefit of sleep. I’ve never quite believed it, but I tell myself it’s true whenever I can’t sleep.:)
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November 11, 2022 at 2:57 pm
Wow! That would be nice, wouldn’t it?
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November 8, 2022 at 10:24 am
Love this post Irene! We’ve all had the experience of not being able to fall asleep. The natural tendency is to toss and turn which of course it does no good🙂. Been able to catch up on some reading in another room is a positive thing!
Thanks for the reminder of how to handle our nighttime sleep stuff, will putting a positive spin on it.
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November 8, 2022 at 10:34 am
So many struggle with this issue. I know I am in good company. Thank you for the response, Don!
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November 7, 2022 at 10:10 am
I’m celebrating with you, Irene! Have you tried a weighted blanket? Mine has worked wonders for my sleeping.
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November 7, 2022 at 11:32 am
Thank you for that suggestion! I am always open to new ideas. ♥️
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