Monday, December 07, 2015

Naps, Faces and Snores

Lunch is over, so I go upstairs to my den. I putter on the puter for a bit. Then, I go to my recliner for a rest.

I do this on most days. When a guy only sleeps for about 6 hours, give or take, he's entitled to a wee kip.

Very wee.

Anyway, I'm on my back in the LazyBoy. I begin to drift.

I guess I begin to drift off, for my mind sees the upper body of a large red-haired man. At the front his hair stands high, and he seems to be leaning over a railing of some sort. I am awake enough to remember, so I take note. A mental note.

I drift once more and see a tighter profile shot of a guy with stringy hair, and ratty chin beard, and glasses. He begins to turn his face leftward toward me, but he dissolves as I realize that I am seeing another face, so I never see this one full face-on.

Drifting again, I see a young lady with dark hair pulled fairly tight. She is pretty, but I am a little deeper into it, so she fades even quicker. Darn it.

I think I see another face, but I can't describe it, for I have gone deeper.

Or I am not gone because a snore soon brings me to the surface.

Then I fade until there is another snore.

This is repeated twice more.

I have been counting snores today, just as I counted faces, and that wakens me earlier than usual.

With all of the remembering and counting, I probably only dozed for 10 minutes today. Sometimes, it is longer — maybe 20 minutes. Seldom much longer. I probably spend about 30 minutes in my chair on a typical afternoon siesta. Today, it was probably a little less although I didn't time it. Sometimes I do time myself. Sometimes, I may be down for 40 minutes, but the nap itself is seldom more than 20 minutes. Often less, like today.

And as you can tell, it is not a deep slumber. But it seems to help anyway.

I enjoy seeing the faces, but I don't know where they come from. They are the faces of strangers. I have never seen them before. The three from today are a good number for me to remember. I made it a point to remember.

I once had perhaps a dozen or two dozen faces just flash through my head, like someone using flash cards, but that doesn't seem to happen anymore. They tend to be fewer now but a little more lingering. I can't freeze frame them for a better look, for they just dissolve. I wish I could see them closer and for longer because they interest me.

Trying to remember the faces and count the snores has awakened me, perhaps a little prematurely. Sometimes, I probably have 10 snores. I don't usually count, but it has seemed like a lot. This is my first time counting. I shouldn't try to do it anymore so I can sleep longer, but maybe I won't be able to help myself.

But this time I wanted to remember. So I could write it down: write it here, I mean. So you could know how weird I am.

I do not snore at night. Only in my afternoon nap. In my easy chair.

At night, I sleep on my side. I do not snore. I do not see faces. At least I don't think I do. When I do dream, however, my protagonist doesn't seem to be me exactly, but someone else. If it is me, I am young enough to not be bald. That was a long time ago.

This has not been a story. This is me and what I happens to me.

Let's all say, "weird," together.

11 comments:

Marie Smith said...

I never remember dreams, so the faces you see or have seen are curious to me. I don't think it is weird, it's just the way it is for you. Some people say they can control their dreams by setting an intention before they go to sleep..for example, imagining yourself staying with each character and extended period of time, before you go to sleep. Some people swear by it as a way to change the outcome of recurring dreams etc. Since I don't remember dreams, I've never had to try it.

Naps are great, even for ten minutes. My naps are usually two hours which riun my night's sleep. Such is life!

Country Gal said...

I have to take sleeping pills to sleep at night and if I happen to nod off in the afternoon which isn't very often as my brain that keeps going wont shut off hence the sleeping pills at night I rarely get to the dream state and if I do it is usually weird stuff as well some I remember and some I don't . What gets me is when one starts to drift off and then your entire body jolts and you wake with a fright lol ! Beats me why we have these weird sleep patterns I guess active minds just don't know when to turn off lol ! We are all weird in our own way I guess , it is what makes us all unique lol ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day .

Vicki Lane said...

Aren't dreams fascinating things? Shows what our brains get up to when left to their own devices.

Shammickite said...

I think those people that visit you are real people who are somehow projecting themselves into time, space, the ether, whatever you like to call it. They may be dead, they may be alive, they may be napping too, but they are real. Perhaps one day you'll meet someone and recognize them as one who had appeared to you in your dream..... OK that's a weird explanation, but you used the word first. Sleep well.

EG CameraGirl said...

I don't think you're weird at all. I have been reading some stories by Franz Kafka and I am convinced may of them are based on his nightmares. Your dreams sound a lot more positive.

Tabor said...

I am so glad when I remember a dream as that happens rarely. I do dream, but they are always a jumble of me being somewhere I am almost lost. Odd people trying to help me, but usually cause me more problems. I try to avoid naps, although like you I rarely sleep more than 6+ hours a night. An I also snore, as many women do who age, and that sometimes wakes me.

The Geezers said...

Hmm. A similar thing happens to me in that twilight place just between sleep and wakefulness: I see complete strangers sometimes.

A nice blog you have here, a nice mixture of the personal and a larger world perspective

Mage said...

Can you turn on your side in the chair? :)

Anvilcloud said...

Yes I can Mage. But I don`t want to go into a heavy sleep because that will affect me at night.

troutbirder said...

Yes I'm addicted to reading and my Lazy Boy recliner. However, after my recent shoulder surgery my rehab therapist told me they are the worst piece of furniture ever invented because no proper support lead to lower back pain and worse. Ok so the net result is I'm sticking to my recliner. It's a form of addiction I guess....:)

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

The worst part about a dream for me is waking up right in the middle of an interesting one and then not being able to remember things that seemed so vivid in a sleep state.