In the Wee Hours...
It's 3:38 am. I think Matt Lauer and his crew probably are waking up about now to get ready for their trek into the city to start the Today Show, so there are people out in the world who get up and start their day at this ridiculous hour.
I'm not one of them.
I'm generally more of a 7:30-8:00am kind of girl, taking a hour or two after actually getting out of bed for coffee and email, a slow build into the day. I had my years of getting up at 6am, commuting, and that kind if routine, and now I enjoy the perks of working from home.
However, I'm also prone to sleep problems, though it's not as bad as it used to be. There have been a few times when I've gone 5-10 days (or nights) with almost no sleep. Those are the true periods of insomnia, and it's not pretty. Then there are the nights where something is on my mind, writing or some other kind of stress, the slings and arrows of daytime worries, and everything seems worse at 3am. Sometimes exercise is the culprit. Sparked by the Spring sunshine, I started adding some extra exercise to my daily walks, and sure enough, I found myself awake at 3am. Working out will make me sleep well at 2pm, unfortunately, but not 2am.
The "sleep experts" say if you lay in bed 20 minutes and can't sleep, get up and do something and go back when you think you can sleep. So, here I am.
There's a strange feeling when you are up and awake at this hour, isn't there? That sense of being the only one in the world who's awake. There are no cars out on the street, no noises around the neighborhood or in the house. It's just me (well, and Matt Lauer, probably, but he probably thinks he's the only one awake, too...).
It's not entirely unpleasant, really, except for still being tired even though sleep won't come and knowing you're going to pay for it in 5 or 6 hours.
It's the time of night when little things that make no difference in the daylight will torture your thoughts, and the time when the sudden book or blog idea sounds brilliant, and you're sure you've stumbled onto the idea that will change the world. Until you wake up and see what you wrote the following morning -- has anyone ever written anything keepable or truly brilliant in the middle of the night?
Probably the movie I have watched the most times in the world is Lone Wolf McQuade. Chuck Norris. It was on HBO in 1984, usually in the middle of the night when I was up with my son in the wee hours, and that's all there was to watch while I fed him, etc, though I never watch TV when I'm up now.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night last summer, after our new kitchen cupboards had been delivered, and coming downstairs to clean and organize -- the house was such a wreck, the living room was buried floor-to-ceiling in crates, and I couldn't sleep thinking about it. So I got up and cleaned. And it was nice to wake up with things put back together.
Other times I've cooked, gotten up and made something nice for breakfast that I could set aside or throw in the oven when we did wake up, so we could have a nicer than usual weekday breakfast.
Nights like tonight, I read, try to write, surf the net... an array of night time activities. Do something like writing this blog so I can have a jump on the day. I decided as I lay in bed what my blog topic could be, and unfortunately, brilliant or not, I'm going to submit it, come what may. God knows what it will sound like to me when I read it six hours from now, but how often can I foist my midnight ramblings on the unsuspecting world?
I can't remember what I used to do before the internet. What do you do when you are up in the middle of the night? Do you like being awake when everything else is quiet and enjoy the alone time, or would you rather be sleeping?
It's 4:03am. (I feel like Jack Bauer, here, LOL.) If you click on the picture above, it will link you to a nice little story by Carol Moore about Buzzy Bee, who finds his honey at night. Cute. My honey is upstairs sleeping, but I'm going to send some email, and try to go back to bed for a few hours. See you then...
Sam
Insomnia
Hail to the Redskins!
Always been an early riser, and thanks to my dog who makes sure I'm up early, am usually up and on the computer early. Like it, no one to interupt me or make inane comments about what boards I'm on. Dog usually is at my feet, unless she sees another early dog walker or a rabbit, or the cat across the street coming over to say hi.
I like the early hours where I can read without interruption, or clean when I have the energy. JMO.
What do you do when you get tired, go back to sleep or push on with a dose of caffeine?
Morning...
Hi Teresa, nice to see you. :)
I like my morning routine when it comes at a normal hour, LOL. I did get back to bed around 5, and slept until 8, roughly, but it gave me a little more than I had, and now, armed with coffee and Visene, I'm on my way.
If I get tired in the afternoon, I tend to either get up and do something, to stay awake and power through, or I take a nap. I try to avoid naps if I can because they will disrupt my sleep at night, but sometimes I give in. It's generally not too much of a problem unless I do morning workouts -- exercising in the morning is just bad for me. I switched over to exercising mid-afternoon, about 2pm, and that actually worked, though for some reason exercise in general leads to less sleep for me.
I don't drink caffeine after morning -- I will slug down 3-4 cups of coffee over my morning routine, though...
After that, it's pretty much water all day.
Sam
My sleeping patterns have
My sleeping patterns have definitely changed over the years. In college I was a big napper, and if I had an early class, I knew I would miss it more often than not. I was more of a night person. Children, of course ,changed that. I remember going to be at 6:30 pm in the winter, as soon as it got dark, because that's when my son fell asleep and I knew he'd be up in a couple of hours. Even if only long enough to be fed or changed, that would so disrupt me I was like a zombie.
I few years ago, I found myself staying up regularly until 1, 2, 3 am -- it was the only time I had to myself! Operating on 3-4 hours of sleep just got to be something I *did.*
Last night I went to sleep at 8:30, still recovering maybe from a long weekend, or maybe it's cyclical, whatever. I woke at 7 am and I'm still tired. So I guess now I'm in the "sleep too much" phase.
Problem is, I feel like I have no time for anything when I go to bed that early! I work during the day and sometimes at night, or at night's when I watch tv, RARELY, or read or whatever. If I go to sleep, I don't do any of that.
But...I LOVE SLEEP! haha!
M
Hey Megan!
I love sleep, too, when I can get it. I've had disrupted sleep since I was a kid, and a real sound night's sleep with no dreams, etc is rare (except that this morning, I had a semi-hot dream about Jason Dohring when I went back to bed, so you won't see me complaining about that).
One of the best things about jet lag, I discovered the first time I traveled to Ca, was it made me sleep like a demon for about 3 days until I caught up -- I actually enjoyed that. :)
Sleep does change over time -- I did the big sleep thing as a teen, but didn't go to college until I was an adult with my son, so I was dealing with the child thing when I was 21. I remember what a gift from heaven it was the first time he slept in the morning, LOL.
Right now, I'm best if I can be up until 12 or 1, and then awake around 7-7:30 -- if it's sound sleep, that's more than enough for me...
Sam
Hey, Sam...I tend to sleep
Hey, Sam...I tend to sleep pretty soundly unless I get a joint flare-up (RA since I was about 16, but normally not too troublesome). I was wide awake on Monday night with an aching shoulder; couldn't get comfortable laying down, and not much more relief sitting up, so went downstairs and veg'd out on tv, but didn't enjoy being the only one awake. Makes me feel too lonely, and I actually love my bed, and love to sleep.
When I left college for the "real" world, it was excruciating to get up at 6 a.m. and be in the office at 7:30. I was always late, and it ticked my boss off, but hey...I was 21 and since the gov't pay was so lousy, I worked nights as a cocktail waitress and didn't get home until 1:30 a.m., so getting up at 6 was tough. There were these older women in the office who used to get to work at 6 a.m. so they could leave by 3 p.m., which meant they were waking up at 4:30 or so. I remember looking at them in absolute horror, thinking they were out of their minds. Well, guess what...?
I am now one of those crazy old ladies.
I get up religiously at 4:30, shower and dress, get lunches ready for the girls, unload the dishwasher and tidy up the kitchen, and am in my car by 5:15 and in my office by 6 a.m. Most mornings, I really hate it. I go to bed around 10 or 10:30 every night and dread getting up. It's cold and dark, and the house is so silent...the dog doesn't even get up with me.
I hope you have a chance to sneak in a nap this afternoon!
OMG
I am in awe -- getting up at 430 am is what I count as the middle of the night, not the start of the day, obviously, so hats off. Sorry to hear about the RA -- that's tough. I have some regular arthritis, and that's hard enough at times.
I think I may be regressing -- I'm going back more toward teenage behavior in my 40s, LOL.
No naps for me -- stalwartly staying awake so I can crash tonight. I do think, however, that staying off the couch may require making some cookies... all in the name of not ruining tonight's sleep, of course... ;>
Sam
Heya Sam...
I have always been one of those disgusting morning people. I simply cannot laze in bed. I can't. My mind goes from asleep to a million miles an hour in less than a millisecond. I can nap now (love the lovely naps), a survival tool for handling a toddler who really feels sleep is optional.
When I was a teenager I was in marching band and I had a morning paper route. I would get up at 4:30, walk 1 1/2 miles to the route, do the route, walk home, get ready for school, and go to practice at 7 a.m. And I liked it!
LOL, you're right...that's
LOL, you're right...that's absolutely disgusting!! Okay, just kidding.
I remember (you had to get me started!) in high-school I had a summer job as a nurse's aide at a nursing home in the next town over, but had to ride my bike the ten miles each way. I'd get up at 5:30 and sit on the sunporch with a cup of coffee before jumping on my bike at 6:00. I remember how lovely it was to sit in the sun, listening to the songbirds and...okay, I'll admit it...I really enjoyed those early mornings.
Yeah, DISGUSTING!
Karen, that actually sounds pretty nice! A bike ride, birds, sunshine, summer warmth - lovely! What I hated about the paper route was the Iowa winters when the temps were literally below zero and the wind was a blast of screaming ice and snow. I'd get home and crawl back into my water bed just to thaw my hands and legs (with 2 teenage sisters and one bathroom, a hot shower wasn't an option).
Disgusting morning people...
How can we be friends? How is this possible? ROTFL
I can't stay in bed past 7 or 8 -- 8 is sleeping in, and 9 is outright sloth, rarely happens -- but it sometimes drives Mike a little batty because I will always wake up between 7 and 8, and I expect everyone up then, too. LOL But I let him sleep in now and then. Sometimes. ;>
S
Sam, on the weekends I
Sam, on the weekends I usually sleep until 7, but never much past that. This past winter, John has been trying to get up early with me so that he can clear off my car and get it warmed up for me (who needs an automatic car starter??), and I really loved that. He'd turn my seat-heaters on and everything was warm and cozy for me. But he's really not a morning person, so I've been letting him off the hook now that the mornings aren't icy. He still gets up at 6 with Caitlin, tho...so I tend to let him sleep in on Saturday mornings, but once it gets past 9, I want to wake him up. On Sunday mornings, I love going out for breakfast, so I make everyone get up by 9 to join me.
Hugs on the insomnia, Sam
My husband will have bouts of insomnia. I am one of those people who lay down in bed and instantly fall asleep. But..(so you don't have to slap me) when I do get insomnia, it's twice as torturous to me as it is to my husband. It confuses me. Why is this happening? And since we live on a generator and the electricity is turned off at night, if I read, it's with a book lamp. No internet. It's dark. Very dark. I have trained myself, though, to equate the living room sofa with sleep. If I finally give up and go out there, for some reason sleep comes. I just hate leaving the warmth of my husband.
I hope this is a one night thing, Sam.
I think it was a one-night
I think it was a one-night thing -- I know, from long experience, when I'm in a chronic pattern as opposed to just having a bad night. But sometimes I can't tell during the day -- the absolutely aggravating thing is that I will be dead tired all day, and then around 11pm, it's like "oh, I'm completely awake now..."
It hasn't been bad lately -- I think the last really bad chronic bout was Feb 2007 -- so, that was a while ago, and it had been a long while before that one. I am skipping exercise today though -- Mike always says it doesn't make sense that exercise somehow shortens my sleep, but what can I say? It does seem to do it -- though conversely, outdoor activity will not.
I don't know... I'm still babbling, as is evident... LOL It was almost all worth it to find that little picture of the Buzzy Bee, which pleases me to no end, for some reason...
Sam
Long Time Insomniac...
which I now know was training for motherhood. I haven't had many natural bouts in a long time, but when I do, I clean. Less to do later in the day, lol. These days, since the girls would wake up, I work on writing--editing, new writing, etc. I get a ton done if I stay awake. If I fall asleep, cool!
Good luck with the naps. I generally have to consider it abandoned sleep cause it ain't coming back, lol.
Dee
no naps
I actually try to resist naps, especially if my night time sleep is off. Will do what's necessary to stay awake today, even if it means baking cookies! LOL Yeah, there's a rationalization for ya...
I can get a lot done, depending. And the daytime effects are always different -- today, I'm fried, and can't think well enough to write, I don't think (though I may try). Last week, I had one bad night, but had a nice writing breakthrough and got over 20 pages done... so who can know?
Sam
Morning gal here!
I, too, am one of the annoyingly perky morning people. One of my absolute favorite things to do is watch the sun come up. It always makes me feel more peaceful. I love being up before anyone else in the house. That is my rejuvenation time. And I, too, had a paper route in High School... I'd get up with my dad at 4:30, bike the 6 miles to town, do my route, then get to school by 7! Sleep is a necessary evil for me. If I didn't have to do it, I wouldn't! And I have an internal clock that won't turn off. There are times when I won't get to bed until 1 or 2 or later (usually because I'm reading a book)...but I still wake up at 5. Been that way for years! I can't get back to sleep, so I usually get up, make a cup of tea and start my day.
LOL - I'm rambling a bit here, but funny story. The night before my wedding, the girls and I stayed at the same hotel as most of my family. The morning of, we had to have our hair done and be out the door early. Shortly after 6am, we headed to breakfast. I made a joke about which of my family we'd see already down at breakfast. The girls laughed and said "Yeah, right. At this hour?" I told them that at the very least my dad would be there, with a cup of coffee, reading a book. Where did they think I got my up early genes from?? LOL - when we got to breakfast, guess who was finishing breakfast, enjoying a cup of coffee and his book? Yep, my dad. Having breakfast with him that morning is a memory that far outshines any of the other times he and I ended up meeting for breakfast in a hotel breakfast room long before any other family members were up! :-)
Oh God...
You chirpy people are driving me batty *VEG*
I also have the internal clock -- it's always between 7-8, no matter what. this morning, I went back to bed around 5, fell back asleep by 6, roughly, but still woke up at 7:50.
That's a nice story about your Dad. I will say, when I was a teenager, my mom would tend to stay up at night and sleep in the morning, so I would come down at 7 or so to get ready for school, and my Dad would be having his breakfast before heading to work, and I always liked that time with him, too.
Sam
Oy...
Sam, I'm so sorry--I treasure sleep and am such a not-nice person when I don't get enough! I tend to be a night-owl (although I envy all you cheery morning folks!) and used to be able to just fall in bed and zonk out. I've found more recently that I don't fall asleep quite as easily any more--maybe a combination of things, including age, motherhood, and being on the computer right up until I decide to go to bed. Lying in bed thinking about how you'd rather be asleep is one of the most annoying things ever!
And yes, hope it's a one night thing! Happy napping, if you have the time and inclination! (Sometimes I don't, because it might be just enough sleep to make it harder to get to sleep that night... how sad! ;))
Oy ve! LOL
Ah, finally another night owl. ;)
I can fall asleep pretty easily, I do have trouble staying asleep. I may sleep two hours, be awake for 2 or 3, and then need to go back for another 2 or 3, like I did last night. But, it's been generally better, though even on a "good" night, I stay in bed, can fall back asleep, but I'll be up quite a bit, or dreaming, etc. The nights where I sleep straight through, deeply, are rare and cherished. :)
I do think computer right before bedtime is bad -- I try not to do that, though I do watch TV, and then usually read for an hour or so before I actually turn out the light.
You're right that laying in bed is aggravating, so that's why I figured it's better to get up and do something...
Sam
I have always been an early
I have always been an early riser(3:30-4:00 am) I love having time to myself before my husband rises and I have to cook breakfast, etc.
Honestly...
What time do you go to bed? LOL I would miss all my TV shows...
Sam
I usually don't go to bed
I usually don't go to bed until 3 AM lol. I'm on the internet until at least 1:30 (I just love late, late night with Craig Ferguson). And then I have to read for at least an hour - my special quiet time. I used to get up at 5 when I worked but now I have the luxury of sleeping in til 9 or 10 (with a once a week 7 AM). Unfortunately my neighbors are early risers (and most of the world I guess) because telephones ring etc. I guess I'm a night owl at heart.
Me, too...
My night owl tendencies are somewhat restrained because of Mike's schedule -- I like us to go to bed and get up together most of the time, it's just a thing we do, so often he'll go to sleep and I'll stay up and read, but only for so long (although having an ereader means I can often stay up much later, or read in the middle of the night if I wake up).
Still, for instance, when he's out of town, it's always harder for me to sleep then, and I tend to "reverse" -- I'll stay up very late, and sleep a little later in the morning, say, I might get to bed around 2, but I'll sleep until 8 or so.
Then I have to get back to normal when he's home. :)
Sam
Sleep Deprived Club
Hey Sam, count me in the sleep deprived club. While I've never been a great sleeper, ever since I hit my 30s sleep is hit or miss for me. Lately the reason has been a back injury, bronchitis, and stress over family issues. Last night I didn't get to sleep until after 3 and the alarm was supposed to go off at 5:45 to make sure the kids were up. I changed it to 6, but slept through the alarm for about 20 minutes.
It wouldn't have been so bad except I'd promised a friend to drive her into the city, so after the girls left for school I managed another 2 hours of sleep. Woopie!
You'd think that now my eyes would be drooping, but unfortunately I've hit my second wind and I'm wide awake again. If I'm lucky, sleep will come sometime tonight.
What do I usually do when I'm having one of these nights?
First of all I curse myself for not being able to sleep. That really goes a long way toward helping me to get to sleep, so once I finish punching the pillow I will either read, see what's being sold on some late night infomercial, or catch a marathon of America's Next Top Model. When I'm very unlucky, I'll agonize over decisions I've made, things I've forgotten to do, or what colleges my daughter may want to attend and how much it will cost. If I'm in a whimsical frame of mind I may imagine what it would be like to win the lottery. Since I never buy lotto tickets it's a pretty silly fantasy.
Occasionally, if it's just a case of waking up around 4 or so after a few hours of sleep, then I'll get up and make breakfast, fold laundry, or crack open a book. Since by this time I've run my husband out of the room, because he does want to sleep, I can't get to the computer to read the news sites or my favorite messageboards.
The dark circles under my eyes are pretty much a permanent part of my face. I've tried all the "remedies" but nothing works for very long. If you find the magic formula, let us know!
Until then, I guess we're members of the same club.
Betty, hugs
Sounds like you have it worse than I do, though last night I was up again at 330, and I looked at the clock and stubbornly decided I wasn't getting out of bed. Luckily, it started to rain, so the rain eventually lulled me back into sleep until 7.
I don't think there's any magic formula, though there are medications, if it gets too bad. I did ask my doctor about them, but she was reluctant to prescribe them. Maybe you should ask yours? I was a little ticked that she wouldn't prescribe them, she said she "didn't want me getting addicted to sleeping pills in my 40s" and you know, that's not likely, because I don't like taking medecine at all -- if she could prescribe me like 6 or 7 a month for the worst nights, that would be good, but oh well -- she said to use over the counter, but they aren't good, because they actually only take effect for 4 hours or so, and then you're awake, and they usually leave a hangover effect. Have you tried melatonin? I did use it for a while, and it worked, but as I don't like taking pills, I cut it out...
I also did hear the sleeping drugs can have weird side effects, like sleepwalking/amnesia, etc and I don't need that. Mike doesn't need that, LOL.
So, I guess we just do what we can and tough it out,
Sam
Thanks
Thanks for the hugs. I have tried melatonin, but it causes me to have such wild and strange dreams I feel like I'm not getting any rest. I hate taking medication, anyway, and the sleep aides really scare me for some reason.
Oh well. More time to read right?