Tuesday, August 30, 2011

What to do at 2am?

The combination of baby on the way, the financial stress that comes with 3 months sans pay, general pregnancy discomfort and heat have lead a lot of sleepless nights.

Usually there is a very typical pattern 2-3 sleepless nights (meaning I wake up somewhere between 1-3 am and can't go back to sleep until 4-5am) followed by 2-3 great nights of sleep. I suppose I finally exhaust myself to the point where I am so tired I sleep all night. But what to do during those sleepless hours??? Traditionally I've just laid awake thinking but I don't think this helps the situation and probably makes it worse. Lately I've been reading for a while in hopes this prompts sleepiness and sometimes it's helpful. Part of me wants to just get out of bed and organize a closet, file paperwork, or fold laundry. However, I worry actually getting out of bed and moving around will just wake me up for good. But if I'm awake anyway maybe productivity would be good.

What do you do during a sleepless night???

3 comments:

  1. Two suggestions:
    1. Keep a journal by your bed. When you are thinking like this and cannot sleep, force yourself to sit up and write it down. Often, the effort of keeping your eyes open and writing will weary you back to sleep.
    2. Get up and do the tasks you are considering. One of the major rules for dealing with insomnia is to never lie there trying to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes. Even if you don't go back to bed that night, it is better not to associate your bed with worries and the inability to fall asleep. Sleep experts say the best thing is to use your bed for sex and sleep only. In my own battles with insomnia I have found this to be a good principle. Struggling over and over to sleep in your bed makes your bed feel like a difficult and frustrating place. I remember feeling like it was easier to sleep on the hard floor than my bed.

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  2. Pray! When I can't sleep I start praying for everyone and everything I can think of. At least it feels purposeful and it certainly helps with worrying.

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  3. yeah, I agree with Jessica. Its better not to associate your bed as a torture-sleepless chamber. I have been getting up lately and doing tasks, I find that eventually I do get really sleepy, where as if I am laying in bed I just have too much empty space to think and worry about not falling asleep.

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