Insomnia
Midnight. Mike was coming to bed at his normal time. I remained awake, reading. Unusual for that time of night. Realizing that sleep was not coming soon, I moved to the recliner, adding games and Netflix to my insomnia repertoire.
I did a self check: Anxious? No. Worried? No. Overindulgence the evening prior? No. Pain? No. Loss of melatonin? No, my blue light glasses were in place.
Sleep, interrupted
The ideas for an article were occupying my brain, teasing the reticular formation. The computer nearby tempted me but the warmth of the quilt locked me in until I returned to bed around 2:30 only to be awakened a few hours later by a barking dog requiring her meds.
Sleep, uninterrupted
The lack of sleep resulted in irritation, fatigue, and sloth on the following day. Having made everyone nearby miserable, I retreated to bed early. A full night’s sleep restored my COVID-19 pandemic self.
Dear Reader:
…do you allow yourself adequate sleep? Not just quantity but quality. With age comes decreased endurance with increased fatigue, diminishing our ability to function. A few hours of uninterrupted sleep at night adjusts the psyche as well as the physical body. A 20-minute power nap during the afternoon releases creativity otherwise lost to lethargy.
Resolve with me to adopt habits for healthy sleep: avoid alcohol and heavy food, especially in the evening. Participate is some physical activity, preferably outdoors, daily. Pursue a creative project daily. Avoid doomscrolling!!!*
And occasionally, take a nap.
*Doomscrolling (also known as doomsurfing) is the act of consuming a large quantity of negative online news at once. Mental health experts have stated that the practice can be detrimental to mental health.
