You know the old joke that goes something like "I sleep like a baby - I wake up every 4 hours and cry."? As I've mentioned many times, I have life long insomnia. But in the last 6 or 7 years I've gotten a handle on it. I know how to get a good night's sleep - but it takes work.Last night I did my 3 or so hours of winding down. Dave gave me a back rub. I was in twinkle town by 10:30 PM. But then, about midnight, the phone rang. Late night phone calls are like a four-alarm fire in my head. It turned out to be nothing - but it took a couple of hours to get back to sleep.
I'm not alone in the sleep deprivation department. Many, if not most, Americans over the age of 50 have sleep problems. Lots of folks like to brag about it, like it's a badge of honor. It's like a they are morally superior to those of us who want 8 hours of shut-eye.
Elizabeth Kolbert in a recent New Yorker article title "Up All Night," has some interesting things to say about sleep.
- Of the many ways that things can go wrong in bed, sleep troubles are probably the most prevalent.
She goes on to say that we're better off doing it (sleeping, that is) alone. I know that most of the people my age, men and women, get a better night's sleep when they do it solo.
She discusses how sleep problems began developing about 150 years ago.
- The electric light bulb has made darkness optional, eliminating the enforced idleness that used to begin at sunset. Modern mattresses and bedclothes trap the heat that the body gives off as its core temperature drops each night.
I sleep in a dark, cool room. Conversely, I do not sleep in a lighted, warm room. Ever.
Several of my friends are now sleeping with those face devices that allow you to breathe normally. This is after being tested and finding out they wake up about 100 times a night. My friend told me her grandson refers to it as her "elephant." (Most of them have some funny looking nose gear.)
Here's what I think, whatever you have to do to get a consistent, good night's sleep - do it. Your quality of life and, indeed, your life itself, depend on it.
Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bits.
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