Sleep, Perchance To Dream

I have made just two resolutions for 2022, one for me and the other pertaining to the results from resolution one. The first is to attempt to overcome the particular form of insomnia I suffer from. I do not have an issue with falling asleep; it's staying asleep that is the problem.

My usual "going to bed" routine is as follows: I hit the sack at or around 11:00 PM. I read for 20 minutes to half an hour until my eyes begin closing, then I turn off the light. Usually, I sleep for about an hour and a half and then wake up. After lying there for about 15 minutes feeling wide awake, I'll get out of bed, have a glass of milk and read for a while. Half an hour to an hour later, I get sleepy and head back to bed. I then sleep until around 5 AM when I wake up - again. If I stay in bed, I can fall back to sleep after about 30 minutes, waking up again around seven. Interestingly enough, I have some of my most vivid and memorable dreams in those final 90 minutes of sleep.

I have always been a light sleeper. A light switch clicks on, I wake up. A tree branch taps on the window in the wind and I wake up. My wife on the other hand can sleep through an earthquake - literally. Once her head is on the pillow, she is off in dreamland. I envy her.

According to the latest research, approximately ten to thirty percent of the world population suffers from some form of insomnia, the scientific word for sleeplessness. In some countries, it is as high as fifty to sixty percent.

Interestingly enough, my home is where I have always found it most difficult to sleep. I have tried just about every sleep aid available; prescription and non -prescription pills. I have read books and handbooks on how to get a good night's sleep. I have given up alcohol for several months. I have followed the instructions provided for getting a good night's sleep in a pamphlet from my doctor Nothing has worked. I have also been tested for sleep apnea and have worn a heart monitor. All tests came back negative. I have tried nose clips, visualization, counting sheep and self-hypnosis. A good, long night of uninterrupted blissful sleep evades me.

My favourite sleeping location is on a boat. I love the sound of the sea, the slapping of wavelets on the hull, the motion of the boat and the sounds of halyards rattling against the mast. I do not regard these sounds as an impediment to sleep, rather as a lullaby; motion and sounds that combine to act as a sleep aid. I also find it easy to sleep in moving cars, trains and airplanes. I think many of us find comfort in motion, something that stays with us from babyhood where we were rocked in a cradle, trundled along in a stroller or walked in a snuggly.

I sometimes wonder if this sleep-inducing motion could be likened to a return to the womb. An unborn baby is constantly in motion as the mother-to-be walks or moves. Research also indicates unborn babies do respond to sound.

I was spurred to action on my insomnia issue a few weeks ago when I heard a program on an internet radio station. The subject matter called for treating insomnia with meditation. I Googled these two words and came across this website, the Sleep Foundation. After a review, it prompted me to attempt to overcome my insomnia issue with meditation.

I have attempted mind quieting several times in the past but my impatient personality has caused me to drop out. This year is different. My 2022 resolution is to cure my insomnia through meditation. I have discovered several books on at my local library on overcoming sleep issues using different forms of meditation . The first step is to quiet my busy mind, this being a major part of my problem.

My second resolution? To write a post on the success (or failure) of my first resolution.

Yawn.

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