Last night I had one of my I-absolutely-cannot-be-bothered-to-fall-asleep-nights. I went to bed at the usual time, read a bit, switched off the light and waited to disappear into the arms of Morpheus. Morpheus wasn’t interested. Wasn’t having it. Any of it. In spite of a generous helping of sleeping pills. Nothing doing. On these occasions it’s almost as if I really don’t want to sleep, like a horse refusing a jump. What I did, however, was gardening, in my head, all the jobs waiting to be done, in detail; had it been light I might actually have got up and done them. Or that’s what I told myself.
Instead I got up, fetched a packet of crackers and a glass of sweet sherry and read a magazine for an hour. It was about 4.30 am when I went back to bed. The birds were up and singing.
This morning all those gardening jobs were still there, waiting to be done. Of course, I was too tired, after my mostly sleepless night, to tackle any of them. I am a daemon for sorting things out at night, come daylight, not so much.
February was the last time we went to see a performance by The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-on-Avon. I took this photo of the phone box and post box then, they are both outside the Festival Theatre itself. Theatres may not reopen until next spring. Balls, indeed.
I have nights like that do, usually connected with the moon phases or with a time when I have to get up with an alarm. It's very frustrating, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with the balls in the phone booth? That must have taken some time and planning to get them all in there without them falling out as fast as they put them in.
Well if you can't nod off whatever and however you try, sherry and crackers sounds like a good alternative to me. A little cheese too, if you please!
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ReplyDeleteTip: I almost instantly fall asleep when watching TV, friend Friko. In face any kind of "screen" works. When my kids were little, we visited the Calgary Science Center, layed in this humongous, displayed at the ceiling above you nature presentation, I think … any way, needless to say I fell asleep, and was awakened by my 2 " prolly a bit embarrassed kidlets by the end of the show …
Deleteanyway … sending you a link that lifted my spirit a lot … and off to work I go. Wishing you well,eh? Friko. https://www.youtube.com/embed/eT5IGtWmQ-M?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0
I want to know how they got all those balls in there. certainly not through the open door. I can usually fall asleep easily enough. it's the staying asleep part I have trouble with.
ReplyDeleteThe moment I understood the strong connection between sleeping 7-8 hours and keeping weight down, I never had a sleepless night again.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, eating a banana at bed time, helps inducing sleep.
Fun photo of the phone booth chock full of balls. I empathize about how unpleasant it is to not sleep. Sometimes I can not stop thinking, about random things. At 2 a.m. Mostly I do sleep pretty well, and I hope tonight brings you sweet dreams.
ReplyDelete"... waited to disappear into the arms of Morpheus"
ReplyDeleteIs this a British saying or maybe a Matrix reference?
Oh, ok. I just looked it up! Interesting. I had never heard of him.
DeleteI hate when that happens -- the can't-sleep syndrome -- so you have my sympathy. What's the significance of the balls?
ReplyDeleteI have one of those nights now and then. Very annoying. Then next day can't stay awake. Or I sleep nicely, wake up perfectly rested-- at 3am..
ReplyDeleteI think nights like that are special and important. And especially in these times sleep when you feel it. Of you sure
ReplyDeleteIdeas for how to fill that phone box:. Pour them in through the opened up roof, close and seal roof. Or lay the thing on its side, door up and open, fill it up, close door, lock same.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't answer why. Maybe the answer's "because".
"I am a daemon for sorting things out at night, come daylight, not so much." Exactly what I go through at least once a month although more often lately. I usual grab a pillow, my iPad or Kindle and try to ever so quietly abandon Hubby and bed down on a sofa in another room. I read, read, read and usually sleep a couple hours--or not. I'm sorry you are experiencing that energy sapping insomnia, but your post was a bit comforting to me. I guess in my case misery really does love company.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely balls. I have been up since a little after three and have definitely been sorting things out in my head. Things which I will almostly certainly NOT achieve today (if ever).
ReplyDeleteI have had many sleepless nights. I tend to finally fall asleep at around 6 AM, and wake up again at 9. It is usually enough. There was a time when I slept well, but that was a long, long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI fear that my theatre days are over.
If I can read for while once in bed I drop off to sleep without problems...I use a reading app to avoid keeping Leo awake by having a bedside light on. However when I am awoken during the night, for whatever reason, from Leo needing oxygen to the blasted ducks dancing on the roof, I cannot get back to sleep. Now,sod's law being what it is, I shall sleep through tonight, when the BBC broadcasts a classic Test match starting at 4.30 am my time...
ReplyDelete"I am a daemon for sorting things out at night, come daylight, not so much" is a statement I can relate to. I've written amazing things in my head and planned the next day in detail while still in bed in the middle of the night, but come morning, there's nothing. So frustrating. I find sleeplessness is sometimes tied to the full moon, but not always. Sleep is such a gift. I hope you sleep well tonight- I hope you're sleeping now as it's the wee hours in the UK while dinner cooks here.
ReplyDeleteHi Friko - sorry to read this ... I do hope you can settle back and get some routine going soon - and enjoy some decent sleep recovery times. I now listen to the radio over night ... falling asleep, waking up and going back again - seems to work for me. Good luck with that. But to wake up thinking of balls is ok too ... love the take on life ... take care - Hilary
ReplyDeleteYears ago, my life-long friendship with Morpheus inexplicably suffered for a while, in fact it puzzled me so much that I blogged about it. These days, we are great friends again.
ReplyDeleteMy mother has what she calls her White Nights occasionally. Unless they do not happen too often, she's ok with them, and since she does not work anymore, she can usually have a nap in the afternoon to catch up a little bit.
I can do the same thing when I can't sleep...planning, thinking, imagining all the tasks I have to do and then being too tired to do them the next day--LOL! Much easier to deal with them now than when I used to have to get up and be somewhere. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love the phone box. Very clever. Our theatres aren't opening in the summer and there's a good deal of discussion about fall and winter next year. I feel terrible for the many actors and technicians who are and will continue to be out of work. Their incomes can be precarious on a good day and this sure doesn't help.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your relationship with Morpheus. I go to sleep well at first; it's the later that gets a little dicey! Sherry and crackers sounds good to me. The garden isn't going anywhere. You'll catch up.
I may be awake tonight figuring out how they got all those balls in. Can only hope the roof opens up. Anyway, so sorry about that night you suffered through. I have them occasionally and if none of my tricks work, I give up, flip on the light and read till it finally happens. Usually get a crick in my neck as a reward.
ReplyDeleteI think, Frico, that our brain knows well when it should rest, and when not. When I can’t fall asleep, I go to the kitchen, warm up a glass of milk and drink little by little. You read the magazine, didn’t you have something less interesting, for example, metal technology or meat products? I'm joking dear.
ReplyDeleteAll my adult life I've been an insomniac and now, even with my meds, still have those nights where sleep just eludes me. It's maddening and exhausting.
ReplyDeleteAs long as it's dark enough, I'll sleep... standing up, if need be.
ReplyDeleteI have had those nights but at my present age of over 70 I no longer care and just let it be. I play some of my favorite music from my phone playlist but do not leave the bed. Usually by 4:30 I drift off for a bit. The day comes and I carry on as usual. It seems to work for me. The music shuts off the busy brain.
ReplyDeleteI so relate to your description of sleeplessness Friko. Right down to the munching on crackers. I fall asleep OK but then wake up in the early hours, brain racing around like a rat on an exercise wheel. Up to put the kettle on and break out the Sao crackers. Now a wee sherry sounds good. Read on my Kindle, eventually nodding off again just before dawn after turning off the alarm. The sun rises at 7.10am over here at present, not that we've been seeing much of it through the rain clouds lately.
ReplyDeleteMaybe when you can't sleep, you could count the balls in the telephone booth rather than sheep. It would take some creativity to figure out how many were hidden, but that would just add to the fun.
ReplyDeleteI usually fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, and that's it for the night, apart from an occasional middle of the night "visit." I hit the trifecta last week, when I brought home fire ant bites, poison ivy, and mosquito and chigger bites from a foray into the woods, and that kept me a little restless, but that kept me restless during the day, too! It was my fault -- I just didn't prepare properly. Thank goodness for Benadryl.
all our theatre companies are not to open this summer as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad but I think the sensible thing to do.
I just hope they survive.
Absolutely awesome photo! Insomnia is disgusting! When I wake up at night, all the depressing thoughts spin in my head. Bustling in the garden is an invigorating activity. We have moved a lot in the forest. Have a nice day;-)
ReplyDeleteVery clever display.
ReplyDeleteevery other day, I have the same troubles. Last night I got up, read some blog comments, took some advil pm, then went to bed. Got to sleep somewhat.What is it, Friko?
Hope you find a solution that works for you with the sleep problem. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteI have this sleep problem and sometimes it is enough to drive me around the bend. I often get up and do chores or read until I doze at dawn. I visited the theatre at Stratford on Avon as a young girl, no balls then, unfortunately.I like that display though.
ReplyDeleteI had one of those nights, too, this past week. When I finally went back to bed to sleep I really ended up with a good several hours of sleep which I welcomed. Hope you're able to get your schedule squared around as I keep trying to get mine, too.
ReplyDeleteI had one of those nights recently. Awful. I tried everything, including going on the imaginary long bus ride I would take to high school. Nada. None of the old tricks worked and the following day I just about snarled at everything that crossed my path.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
It may be nearly 6am right now where I live, but I've been wide awake since 3am! This is happening far too often to point that when I wake and it's 5am I want to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteFrom the comments it seems that restless/sleepless nights are more common than not. I, too, complete many tasks in my imagination which are never, or rarely, accomplished in daylight hours. There's no one solution!
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