We had a full moon here a few nights ago. It was shining in the bedroom window at night, waking me from a sound sleep, even with the curtains drawn. Of course, once I'm awake, it's very hard to fall back asleep. My mind just seems to switch on, and we're off to the races! I think about what I need to get done the following day, or whether my daughter will make the basketball team (she did), or if I will get pancreatic cancer like my mother. Yes, that's the kind of thing I worry about in the middle of the night. Sounds silly in the light of day, but at 3 AM? Usually I will get up, go downstairs, and lose myself in a good book for about an hour.
Then, when I start yawning in earnest, I'll go back to bed. But first I have to brave the downstairs bathroom without thinking of that scene from The Sixth Sense. You know the one -- where the little kid gets up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. He leaves the door open, and while he's peeing, a ghost glides silently past in the hall outside. I never can decide if it's better to leave the door open, or close it and risk opening it to something scary! LOL
Anyway, once I go back to bed, I usually fall asleep pretty easily. Of course, my husband could sleep through just about anything. And he's always warm, too. How unfair is that? I've been having a hard time adjusting to the colder weather this year, and sometimes I've been going to bed with long underwear, fleece jammies and thermal hiking socks. Yes, I know, dead sexy. Of course, a lot of this gets shed in the course of the night. Menopause approaching? Wonderful!
Well, that's my insomnia routine. What do you do when you can't sleep?
It drives me crazy when I cant get to sleep or, worse, when I cant stay asleep! And it happens more and more. I have found that is a great time to say my prayers. More often than not I fall asleep before I am done. I once heard someone say that God doesn't mind if you fall asleep in his arms, and that is the way I like to think of it:>)
ReplyDeleteWhen I can't sleep or wake up after falling asleep, I, too, find reading gets me sleepy quicker than anything else. Unless it's an extra good book...then, I've been known to sit up all night, reading.
ReplyDeleteLike Kathleen, I sometimes go into a long conversation with God and go to sleep in his arms. (I love that description of hers). Surfing on the computer about boring subjects makes me yawn, too....
Oh, and I slept like a baby all night last night! Don't you love those kind of nights?
hugs, bj
I have more of those nights than the "sleeping through" kind. I also will read and I have also prayed myself to sleep but when I wake up with my mind already spinning....nothing seems to work, but to get up, and start writing all the things down I am thinking about. I don't call it "worrying", I call it "planning" ....right :)
ReplyDeleteIt's rare that I can't fall asleep. And even rarer would be for me to wake up. But, when that does happen I count my blessings instead of sheep.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Julie
There are a few years between us Mary, but I swear we are two peas in a pod! I was up the other night too.. fully garbed in my leggings and socks. I just lay there afraid to get out of bed and go downstairs by myself.. lol! My mind spins too. Usually around a full moon. Have you noticed if your sleep patterns are related to your cycle? Hey, if our bodies can be so effected by the moon, so can our minds.. I haven't hit menopause yet, (sounds like fun! count me in..) but I bet if you tracked your pattern through several months you would find that it gets worse or better in cycles. Then, perhaps, you can adjust your sleep, diet and excercise accordingly. Just a thought!
ReplyDeleteAtleast when you are up during a full moon it's beautiful. I love the moonlight through our lace curtains.
:O) Abbie
Mary,
ReplyDeleteLuckily I buzzed thru the whole menopause thing very easily. Yes, I know I am very fortunate but I suffered or 44 years of cycles first, so give me a break, OK? :o).
If I wake up I usually just lay there annoyed and listen to the muffled chime of the clock downstairs. Eventually I may go downstairs and read for a while. Of course my husband sleeps through anything including his own snoring!!
Re: the moon. Last night I noticed that the moon looked like it was going to fall on its face, rather amusing.
Have a good day,
Janet
Have a great day
I often have sleepless nights when I have a lot on my mind. I usually read also--or visit blogland!
ReplyDeleteYou know the worst part of insomnia for me is that it always arrives when I desperately need to be refreshed for the next day. I find I have to get up and read one of my devotionals and have a cup of tea. Usually, the words refresh my spirit, even if my eyes tell a different story the next day. Blessings, Karen
ReplyDeleteI too have nights that I just seem to lie there awake for some reason. Then my thoughts go thru the gamit of what seems to be happening in my life at the time. Anyone of my three teenage girls, that's enough to keep anyone's mind busy! Or my health ( I am in my mid 40's and it seems I am falling apart), or just the stress' of everyday life. I too will get up, go downstairs and do/or not do whatever it is that will help me be able to experience a tad more sleep until that ever faithful alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m. and I can start all over again. Why I ask does this always seem to happen on a weeknight?
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! LOL This sounds exactly like me! I do the same thing, wake up in the middle of the night, mind racing, can't sleep, go to the bathroom, let's add hot flashes to that as well! I would just love to have a full nights sleep, 8 whole hours, just once!
ReplyDeleteHave a good day!
Hugs,
Donna
I often still get woken up by a certain five year old who wants to crawl into our bed. So he gets in my bed and I go get in his. Then I read until I fall back asleep.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed visiting your blog. Can't wait to see more!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Dear Mary, the night expands thoughts, then you will add the horror film, the full moon, the dark, and who manages to sleep more ..... you know what you say, we women we are equal in every part of this world, if I do not sleep a bit on the sofa then pass the night with eyes open and think and think and think ...
ReplyDeleteIf I read, I can usually fall asleep pretty quickly. Loved your bed time outfit!
ReplyDeleteNan
Hi Mary, I saw that moon the other night. It was incredibly gorgeous with the dark clouds gliding over it. I tried to capture it on camera but failed miserably. Yours is terrific. ~ Lynn
ReplyDeleteMust be the season of life...in the past few years, I've experienced many a sleepless night...not fun! I don't get up. I lie there like a lump fuming that I can't sleep. Doesn't help much. Funny about universal dreams/nightmares...sounds as if the one called "Yes, I, too, shall die" has visited you. I don't like that one either!
ReplyDeleteMary, I can relate, as my sleep patterns have certainly started changing in the last couple of years. I used to be a really sound sleeper, never woke up much until my alarm went off...not any more! Now, any little thing will wake me up & then of course, you have to get up & pee. Then, I can't get back to sleep that fast. I usually just lay there, hoping I'll doze & rest enough so I'm not exhausted. Oh, for the good ole' days. I think it must be pre-menopause for me too. The first signs....
ReplyDeleteOh, I checked out that Presentations book from the library a few months ago & did a writeup on my blog too. Gorgeous pics! Made me feel really inadequate in the gift wrapping department.
xo,
Rhoda
I spend many nights not sleeping... mind racing... but I also have the curse of kicking legs. When we first married my husband called me Kicking Legs...like an Indian name...very funny. And then there his snoring..... I go in the guest room ... a change of scenes seems to help.... and then there is LUNESTA....my friend
ReplyDeleteThe DH and the cats snore and wheeze -- usually at the same time -- so I lie there until my temper and my bladder finally get me out of the warm cozy bed. Grumbling - I jam my feet into slippers and head along to the bathroom - followed by at least two curious cats souls. No ghosts there -- although I do collect Ouija boards and would welcome any intelligent conversation that would drown out my Dh's snoring! So I pad along -- followed by a train of four gallivanting cats -- to the kitchen and make tea and raisin toast. Then I bundle myself in a blanket in the reading chair in the living room and switch on the Tv -- and channel surf. Sometimes I hit paydirt and score a late night classic movie. All the cats have wheedled cream and treats out of my kind-and-generous nature -- and have promptly abandoned me -- and headed back to their respective warm beds. Just me, a movie or decor book or magazine, tea and toast. Finally a sleepy DH calls out "can I have a cup of tea too???" Dreadful thoughts do slide around my brain -- then I kindly take him tea and toast too. And he always seems surprised to see that I've jumped ship -- or bed. After assuring that his snoring ("are you sure that it was ME snoring?" -- no it was ALIENS landing on the lawn!) was the problem -- he finishes his tea and promptly falls back asleep -- and I finish my book. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteJan at Rosemary Cottage who has counted many nights by the chimes on the grandfather clock
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh because I have had nights like that. If I end up in that place of wierd nighttime fear I just pray and that always gets my thoughts back in alignment. More often these days I fall asleep really early to the dismay of my family. I cannot seem to make it more than an hour after I eat dinner. The flip side, I'm wide awake at 4:30 or 5:00 at the latest!
Hugs,
Dena
Why is it men can sleep thru anything while we women lay awake for countless hours worrying about anything and everything???? I am not a reader unless it is a decorating book of course......I usually just wander around the house and surf the net until I am so dead tired I have no choice but to fall asleep again! LOL
ReplyDelete~Des
What a beautiful moon~great story, as always. Michelle
ReplyDeleteOh Mary! How I can relate! I usually go to bed around 11.30pm, then I'm wide awake by 3.30am each morning. Like you, once I'm awake then that's it, I have to get up and distract myself from my thoughts too. Sometimes I just wish that I could sleep for a few days! Cool photo. Freaky, but cool. lol
ReplyDeleteAmanda (aka Cottage Contessa)
I hate to admitt it but after so so many years of not sleeping, then getting so run down I now every so often have to take sleeping tablets, tried everything else under the sun, I can't believe how much better I feel from sleeping, very important
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely book. I love wrapping gifts. Your Christmas decorations are very pretty. The tongs on the tree...interesting silver embellishment. :)
ReplyDeleteAlexandra