Witty, early twentieth century comedian and writer, W.C. Fields said, “the best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.” Absurd, right?
Like it’s something you select from a menu, sleep isn’t so easy for some folks. It’s a bit too cavalier for me, that statement, “get some sleep.” In fact, it’s a pet peeve.
Sleep, when you can get it, is wonderful; it’s awesome, it’s even glorious. To awaken after sleeping seven, eight, or even nine hours is a marvel to some of us for whom it is on the side of rare, or an epic accomplishment.
One of the recommendations from every healthcare provider or pseudo health guru on the planet, is to sleep seven, eight or nine hours per night, for optimum health. I’ve often looked longingly at that suggestion, with hope in my heart, but dread in my head.
To those of us who suffer from or have suffered from insomnia, there is a thing called “sleep hygiene,” which is truly a hoot. It includes such helpful advice as darken the room, sleep in comfortable clothes, make sure the space is comfortable and cool, etc.
Like everyone who can’t sleep, aims for discomfort when they’re trying to fall asleep or stay asleep. Do “they” think we wear our party clothes to bed? Do we turn the heat up to 80 degrees? And, of course we turn all the lights on when we’re trying to sleep!
I’m sorry, but people who suffer from insomnia, and we truly suffer on occasion, we know all about the tricks of the trade to try to sleep. There is the lovely white noise machine, which blocks out extraneous sounds that startle awake a sensitive sleeper.
That’s me. The least little sound puts me on awake alert. It comes from self-training when I had a baby in 1990. I alerted to every peep my precious baby made. Even if I was in zombie mode, I was awake and on the job.
There are times, let me inform you, that insomnia just is. One of the most infamous things we do, is calculate like a mathematician, how many hours we might be able to achieve if we go to sleep within the next half hour. “I could possibly get four hours if I go to sleep in the next fifteen minutes.”
We know all about cutting screen time before bed, and not watching crazy stuff on television right before bed. We know all about overstimulation, and freeing our minds. Sometimes an insomniac can’t sleep because of our wiring, not because of our hygiene.
And I should talk about some of the things designed to “help” us sleep. There are the infamous pills, which seriously do drug you to sleep. But then, as with all pharmaceuticals, there are after effects which take a toll not to mention addiction for those susceptible.
There are over-the-counter type drugs, tinctures, and devices which may or may not help. Herbal drugs can help, but may be temporary or weak.
I think everybody has a sleepless night now and again. Worry or overthinking might take over when there are things in one’s life that are challenging or too much during the day and carryover into night.
However, I think that for many an insomniac, overthinking or anxiety is not the trigger for sleeplessness. Rather, it is an unknown, or elusive physiological or neurological problem.
I confess that there is an observable pattern for me. I often have a sleepless night prior to a next-day appointment of any kind. It doesn’t have to be a difficult, scary or challenging appointment, it can just be a fun thing, but one with an appointed time-frame. It’s a mental preparation thing, which is not uncharacteristic for an introvert. Has the upcoming day’s events been planned properly to achieve the most well-being?
Social media posts joke about the “3AM brain,” where you recall and review every awkward, stupid, or embarrassing mistake you’ve made in the last twenty years. Also, I have come up with many a column idea during these awake stints in the wee hours of the night. So, some good can come out of these 3AM adventures.
A positive attitude would agree with Alain de Botton, the father of emotional intelligence and practical wisdom, who said “Insomnia is the revenge of the many big thoughts one hasn’t had time to deal with during the daylight hours.” These “big thoughts” as well as dreams, can inspire creativity.
Not only is it insulting, it’s cruel for writers, or health experts to preach about how sleep deprivation is slowly killing us. Insomnia is not always self-sabotage. Finding fault with an insomniac’s lifestyle is unhelpful at the least.
Dale Carnegie, an early twentieth century pioneering father of self-help and personal development, said in essence, if you can’t sleep, get up and do something rather than lay in bed worrying about not sleeping and how bad it is for you. “It’s the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep.” Agreed.
Sometimes insomnia is clearly related to overthinking, anxiety, and worry about “what might be.” However, there are times when insomnia just is. Can you say, AGING!
Let’s say you’re feeling sort of sleepy, definitely tired, and the time is sufficiently right for it to be “bed time.” So, you go to bed. You curl up on your side, hug the pillow and settle into your favorite “getting ready to sleep” mode. Then you turn over onto your back and meditate, breathe deeply, pray briefly, and it happens. Your eyes pop open and suddenly your wide awake.
You’re not thinking about anything in particular. You’re not worried about tomorrow. You’re just awake, when you innocently intended to be asleep.
So, the next time somebody tells you that you need to get some sleep, reply with something like, “I will select that from tonight’s menu.” Or, say what I often say to the “have a nice day,” greeting from many a store cashier, “I’ll do my best, same to you.”