Monday, February 20, 2017

Let Me Tell You About My Night

It's 7:07. and I am brewing my second cup of coffee — okay a second mug, and fairly large mug at that because it is a breakfast blend. This is not normal; one mug is normal — not two. But then again, there was nothing normal about my whole night.

I'm not entirely sure what time I went to bed and sleep, but my best computation is that it was ~11:30. While my bladder usually forces me to go on two nighttime excursions to youknowwhere, it is usually not as early as 1:30. But it sometimes is, and I can count on getting back to sleep.

But not last night.

After my trip to youknowwhere, I was restless and uncomfortable and then spent two hours going from our bed to the guest bed and back to our bed before giving it up for a lost cause.

So, at 3:30 I was up drinking my first mug of java, making toast and puttering on the computer. I posted a photo to Flickr and put together a photo blog that you may have already read here. Then I did some reading on Free Will and supreme court decisions that depended on a notion of free will as opposed to Determinism, followed by a video documentary on Darwin, which seemed rather appropriate with it recently having been Darwin Day.

It was then around 6:30. Was I get sleepy? "Perhaps, I shall go to my recliner to see if I might get a few zzz's." The mind then wanders as the mind will, and I think to myself: "Self. Did you forget your sleeping pill last night?"

It seemed to me that I had double-checked once before bed, but did I check the wrong night? Do I recall checking Tuesday when I should have checked Wednesday (note: I am writing this on Thursday morning after Wednesday night)?

So, I checked. Sure enough, there were two pills in the Wednesday compartment: one sleeping pill and one Celebrex. Well, no wonder my legs seemed sore because I had also neglected my morning Celebrex pill and had put the soreness just down to just forgetting that one. So, I had missed two arthritis pills.

Unfortunately, that is how a night without a sleeping pill goes for me. In my case, it is not usually the getting to sleep but the staying asleep that is the problem. It's not a strong pill, but it is enough to dampen the wildness of my aging brain and give me a half-decent night of sleep.

Except when I forget to take it. Strangely, the pill doesn't work then.

I don't forget often — sometimes months go by between memory lapses — and when I do forget , I usually figure it out much earlier. But last night, I was so sure that I had taken it that the possibility didn't even enter my mind until 6:30.

I rather think that for me at least, this puts to rest the notion that a sleeping pill is just a placebo or psychosomatic. Because I had thought I had taken it, but my body knew that I hadn't.

Perhaps I will take two tonight.

7 comments:

Mara said...

Oh goodness. Hope the other nights were a bit more restful than that.

Shammickite said...

During my short stay in hospital after the hip surgery, I was given a sleeping pill.... my first ever. I had the most awful dreams all night and tossed and turned, and I have vowed Never Ever to take another one!!!!!
But if they work for you, that's great! All you have to do is remember to take them!!!!!!

Tabor said...

I do not take sleeping pills and I do go through several nights like you did. I eventually nap in the afternoon or fall asleep on the couch at 6:00 PM. Sometimes I wake up to use the bathroom, sometimes it is the snoring of hubby and sometimes it is just a restless me! I do take melatonin every night and I do think that helps.

Donna said...

I'm still trudging to work four days a week so not too much of a problem getting some shuteye...hope things smooth out for you!
hughugs

Marie Smith said...

I sleep when I can. I haven't been a great sleeper for years so I manage as best I can. I'm not much of a pill taker and avoid them if I can

I hope you have a restful night!

Debbie said...

i never forget my sleeping pill because the hubs makes sure i take it. i call him the "pill police" because he never forgets!! in just the last few weeks, it has not been working too well and i have had some very restless nights. i am 5 trips every night to youknowwhere and i don't drink coffee. i am not a huge fan of nighttime!!

Vicki Lane said...

A sleepless night is awful -- and the following day likewise.