I put the lights out and snuggle under the comforter. Ah, it’s lovely to finally put to rest all the cares and worries of the day. I think to myself, ah to sleep! Perchance to dream?
On most nights it happens.
But on others, it just isn’t that easy. For some reason, or none at all, my mind does not shut out with the lights.
For some there are specific stay-awake reasons. With me it’s random. Suddenly I remember the recipe I promised to e-mail a grandchild. Where is that beach bag I bought at Target? Did I turn off the desktop downstairs? What am I doing here alone? A face smiles at me in the dark. Whose? I have forgotten. But it looks familiar.
I play a fast game of Scrabble on the laptop. Aha! There’s a seven-letter word. ANXIOUS. It gives me 88 points. I win!
They say people of age need less sleep than others. They also say the most desirable time of sleep for an average person is “five minutes more.”
Ah, sleep, that wonderful friend we hope to meet at the end of each day, praying it will be sound and peaceful and full of sweet dreams. But on some nights sleep is painfully elusive.
What keeps us up, really?
There are many reasons for sleepless nights. The experts have filed numerous versions of their take on insomnia. Some have referred to it as a “slippery fish” which is hard to handle.
Psychologists insist that stress is one of the top offenders. Those who stress over things they cannot change are likely victims. Pressures in the workplace, from family or career issues cause an increase of adrenaline in the body. This pumps the heart, activates the brain and robs you of sleep.
Surfing TV channels in bed keeps you up. Did you know that? So does the Internet, checking on Facebook for the latest “post” and, yes, your cell phone.
Have you caught yourself, lying in the dark, waiting for that BlackBerry on your nightstand to give you a blinking red light or hear the latch of the front door? Maybe one of the children is still out partying? No, they are never too old to wait up for or worry about! And so you wait. Of course, you can’t sleep.
To say that a cup of coffee before bedtime is not advisable is a no-brainer. But did you know that cigarettes have the same effect? Both contain stimulants. So do sodas and tea.
Mental illness and physical injuries are listed as contributors to loss of sleep. Doctors are prepared to diagnose those cases and prescribe medication, hopefully with more discretion and ethic than a certain Dr. Conrad Murray, who attended to the King of Pop.
For the layperson who tosses and turns until break of day, here is a short list of culprits.
Worry. What does it mean to worry? It means to care anxiously. We fuss and fret. And then tomorrow comes as promised, whether we worried about it or not.
Don’t take your job to bed.
Living with your work. Are you trying to sleep while mentally sitting at the desk poring over papers? Don’t take your job to bed.
Jealousy. That ugly green-eyed monster creeps under the covers with you. And it gnaws at your heart and soul. Your mind conjures images you can’t endure. And you lie there, miserable, heartbroken and awake. Try trusting instead. Try believing that you have nothing more to desire than what is already yours.
Envy. This fiend has green eyes, too. Do not play his game. Be content with what you have. Stop looking on the other side of the fence.
A guilty conscience. I watch the news on television (which is another reason to lose sleep) and ask myself, how can they sleep at night? But that assumes, doesn’t it, that these pompous, self-righteous malcontents have a conscience. Please!
What have we done, or not done, that makes us heartsick and restless at the end of each day?
In the words of Margaret Sangster, “It isn’t the things you do, dear, it’s the things you leave undone that give you that bit of heartache at the setting of the sun. That tender word forgotten; the letter you did not write; the flowers you might have sent, dear, are your haunting ghosts tonight.” Ouch!
Hatred. It is a sense of loathing that consumes the heart and soul. The person who hates is killing himself. He is the victim of his own poison. Hatred keeps him awake staring at shadows, afraid to close his eyes.
Fear of death. Some people break into a cold sweat thinking, “Suppose I don’t wake up? What then?” As if staying awake could keep the Grim Reaper at bay.
My friend has a wonderful retort to that. “If you don’t wake up, then you will have nothing to worry about.” How true.
So what can we do to have a restful night?
A glass of warm milk may help, or warm cinnamon and honey. Don’t overeat before bedtime. I read somewhere that a cluttered bedroom can affect your sleep pattern. So tidy up!
Alcohol is a pretty reliable sedative. But for some it is a stimulant. Booze robs you of the “deep sleep stage,” which is the part of the sleep cycle that refreshes you. A warm bath helps. So does an after-dinner walk. Herbal tea and soft music are also suggested.
Needless to say, a productive, active day can spell the difference between a good and a bad night.
Smile a lot. Laugh! Cry if you must, but dance a little. Make sure you do something to make life better for someone other than yourself.
And after all is said and done, I think this could be the best bedtime tip yet.
Every evening, before you go to bed, turn your worries over to God. He’s going to be up all night anyway.
