Reply To: Wannabefree’s Friday night Blog…

[wannabefreeParticipantParticipant]

Hi everyone. Another week, And we have made it. Maybe only just, But definitely made it.

It is extremely cold outside right now, so it will be extra blankets for me tonight.

Okay, Sleep… Do we have a complete lack of it, or indeed, struggle to actually stay awake?

I remember a lecture I was attending at college, maybe thirty or so years ago, When the person sitting alongside was snoring really loudly. (They’d not long come off of doing a nightshift somewhere). I felt very self conscious, but the lecturer just carried on as if nothing was happening!! Maybe they were used to such occurrences!

I know that it is futile to stay up beyond say, 2am writing something, cos around that time, my blood sugar will naturally drop, as does the standard of my handwriting, spelling, grammar, etc. I am supposed to be resting at that hour anyway. I don’t actually do night shifts anymore, thankfully.

At school, because I did my homework very late at night, then the crap marks I got, were probably due to the same thing… I was often very hungry too, but that is another story. Maybe next week?

We didn’t know about such things as sleep patterns and blood sugar then…

So… Sleep. It is absolutely vital to get enough shut-eye. The body needs it, the brain needs it. Physically as well as mentally.

My notorious sleep condition is similar to a friend of mines. It is linked to the essential ‘REM’ sleep we go through. Rapid Eye Movement sleep. The thing is, normally, just the eyes move… In my case, Most of the rest of me moves as well! Much to the annoyance of my nearest and dearest!  I googled it… For me there is very likely no cure, cos I’m already on medicines for my OCD.  But… It is manageable. Now that we both know what it really is, as opposed to me being psychotic and deliberately nudging her while she is attempting to sleep!  I actually woke up during an episode, and wondered what on earth I was doing… It freaked me out.

We all need sleep… We are physical biological creatures, maintained and controlled by forces we sometimes have very little control over. (Just ask anyone who snores!) Sleep enables important regenerative processes to happen. Too much sleep, and we don’t get sufficient time to do anything, but not enough, ultimately leads to increased anxiety, irritability, and makes us difficult to be around. Rattiness is the term for this.

To be comfortable in our bedroom, some people need a small amount of light, ‘Coming around the bedroom door’, or silence in the room. Some prefer total darkness, others sound. And that all needs to be addressed to the individual person. I have a night time radio station on, one that doesn’t keep reminding me what the time is. Cheerful music, Nothing sad or morbid. It helps when the radio presenter is upbeat and cheerful too.

There is nothing weak about needing a lot of sleep. It is physically essential, in varying amounts, to every man, woman, and child on the planet. So, when you get a chance to snuggle under the covers, do so! That way, even the air you are breathing is warmed up. Just like we did when we were kids with little or no heating in our homes!

A warm drink can help, before settling in for the night. And maybe a biscuit or two. We are treating ourselves to a specific time of rest, glorious rest. A little bit of Bliss. And it doesn’t actually require money.

I have just picked up a copy of Susan Jeffers’ book ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’. I reckon that it’s most likely available on Kindle, just as the kindle App is available on your App store function on your phone.

In the book, she deals with a few things that maybe one or two of keep us awake at night…  Well, a few of the things that keep me awake sometimes…

Maybe you could write your own book? Put it on Amazon kdp, to self publish, and obtain your own printed copy to show friends and relatives… Now, That’s an idea… ‘O’ level English study to help me with grammar and spelling, and then write anything we like… I like that idea…

I’m also into cuddly toys… Charity shops are a good way to find yourself a cuddly companion that never berates you, or argues. It puts us in touch with our child side, and in a really nice way. We are in control. It is also brilliant for when there isn’t actually a person around to give us a nice hug.

Okay… So let’s attempt to get sufficient sleep tonight, or the next time you settle down to sleep. Tomorrow morning if you are due to do a night shift tonight… I prefer a small amount of gentle light… To be honest, At my age that is necessary for me to find my way to the loo!

One last thing for this week…  At night, After using the loo, I opt to use antiseptic alcohol hand spray to ‘clean’ my hands… It saves having to turn on and turn off taps, and use the towel, which isn’t always particularly dry anyway…

Until next week then, Dear friends 6pm UK time, Friday 1st of December 2023. Hey, We can get away with getting some cheerful Christmas decs up then… Mind you, We’ll eventually need to prepare ourselves again, for when they come down again for twelfth night! (To be honest, I have brightly coloured lights of some sort up all year round!).

Let’s be careful out there…

Wannabe