Sleepless In the City

I find it most interesting that sleep is so elusive, as elusive as an African Leopard, considering they too are full of spots. I know for a fact that I am not the only person who struggles with this. I have spoken to so many people over the years that have the same problem. There is no set way to deal with it, we all have to find ways that work for us and our lifestyle. You would imagine that with us being so tired, we would just fall over dead tired at the end of the day and then sleep till the morning light comes. Not so.

Quality over quantity

I have always strived to get more sleep, I mean that is what “everyone” tells us. We need more rest. I have tried this, It just does not work for me in any way shape or form. Eight hours they say is the requirement that should be met to give your body what it needs. I will tell you something, all it gives me is a very sore body and a grouchy disposition, more than usual. Being someone who is not traditional by any means, I decided to take a less traditional approach to this all. Quality over quantity is what I am going for these days. I find that if I get 4- 6 hours of solid sleep, I am more rested and better off than 7 hours of broken sleep. Also, I am a little more user-friendly for the people who have the pleasure of dealing with my grouchy self.

What keeps me up

Most nights it is the pain from costochondritis that prevents me from sleeping longer, the pain is unbearable to say the least. There is no way to lay down anymore after 5-6 hours that could possibly be comfortable enough. Other nights, it’s the fabric of my linens or the heat of the blankets. Once I have the itches, I may as well get up and do something. The longer I lay in bed and roll around, the more irritable I get. This along with general aches and pains from both psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis often has me up in the early hours of the night.

What to do when you don't sleep

So...if I only sleep 4-6 hours a night, What do I do when everyone else is sleeping. Over the last two years or so I have actually come to enjoy the time when everyone sleeps. Being a single mom who works two jobs, it is truly the only alone time I get. Once I grew accustomed to not sleeping as much as everyone else and stopped stressing about it, it became easier. I get up and make some tea, read a book or just sit quietly and look at the stars from my balcony I have started to use this time to reflect and relax. Often if I have some sleepy tea and I am up and about for an hour or so, I can catch a few more hours after that. Mostly this only works on weekends though. Weekends I also try and take power naps in the afternoons to try to be sure that I get enough rest over a 24 hour period.

In my experience, it is about finding what works for you and your routine. Do not be too hard on yourself. Do what works for you. Get the rest you can, when you can and if like me you are up a lot in the middle of the night, try to find ways to make it as enjoyable as possible for you. You will be surprised what you can figure out when you shift your mindset.

Happy snoozing.