UNITED STATES—America, I have a problem, and I truly need your help. I am struggling with sleeping as of late. I really wish I can tell you why, but I can’t figure out what the problem is. It feels like it comes to me in waves. I can go for a period of weeks where I sleep with no problem, and then out of nowhere there comes this period where I’m tossing and turning every single night.
Sleep is the most crucial thing that most Americans lack. It is the thing we must get more of to function on a daily basis without crashing and burning. That is the absolute worst, it hasn’t happened to me often, but when it does unfold it is not a pleasant feeling to say the least. The body does not just bounce back as fast as you’d like it to.
With that said, I try to go to sleep at a decent time each night, no later than 11 p.m. or 12 a.m. depending on how late I have to work. If I have to work late, there is not much I can do beyond come straight home and go right to sleep. I cannot sleep with my bedroom door open; it must be closed. I know it sounds crazy, but it has always been a rule of thumb for me. I think it has to deal with the notion of someone watching me when I sleep that scares the living hell out of me.
With that said, the TV must be off, the blinds or curtains have to be closed. I cannot sleep with any sort of light piercing into my room. The phone can be a major issue because whenever an email comes through, or a message is sent, my phone flashes. I have to flip my phone with the screen facing down so I don’t see the light.
Hate to do it, but sometimes I turn the phone off. I fear missing a call in case of an emergency, but I sometimes have to disconnect or it’s an issue. Even those blue or red lights that appear on many of your electronic devices are a problem. I’ve come to the solution to cover them up. The bedroom has to have a decent temperature. I can’t sleep if the room is overtly hot or humid, but weirdly enough I always sleep well when I have a fan going.
I think I’ve really started to realize that I am a very light sleeper. The most minute sound or thing can wake me up and once I’m up that’s it. I can’t get back to sleep; it because near impossible for one-two hours, and by the time I FINALLY do fall to sleep, it’s time for me to get up and start the day. I’m a morning bird I think I have been since I was a kid. If I sleep past 8 a.m. you should be worried because that means I’m exhausted or I’ve had a crash and burn which is never a good thing.
I have truly considered purchasing black-out curtains because I think ensuring my bedroom is COMPLETELY DARK that might help my sleep even more. I tell people after a certain time, don’t even bother calling me. If it’s NOT an emergency, there is no reason to call me after 10 p.m. in most cases, cause you’re likely not getting a response.
I know not sticking to my sleep pattern only makes things worse, so if you have a routine in place, you need to do everything in your power to keep it consistent. The moment it begins to fluctuate you have a problem and without sleep, oh, you’re in trouble.
