Sleep !!! ??? "***"
Sleep is a rather rare commodity for me at times. Most of the time, with my need to force myself to rise early for running (usually up between 4:30am and 5:00am), and the desire/need to spend time with my wife and family in the evening leading me to go to bed usually between 11:00pm and 11:30pm.... and at least 10-15 minutes of casual reading in bed to prepare for sleep..... I do not get a helluva lot of sleep. Unfortunately, SOMETIMES the timing is worse, however.... like it is currently with the myriad of deadlines that are piling upon me. I checked my "gizmo watch" (this is the extreme watch I inherited from my son when he wanted a fancier sports watch that was many times more expensive than this one. To me, it is the "gizmo watch". I have grown fond of it because it will track my running mileage so that I am free to run anywhere without first having to measure it out by vehicle. But, this damn gizmo watch does a lot more too:
It has been letting me know that during the last several months when I looked at the data it collects, that my average resting heart rate was 51 beats per minute.
But... related to sleep.... it has shown over the last several months that I have averaged just a few minutes under 6 hours of sleep a night.... and during the last few days, my average has been worse.... roughly 3.5 hours of sleep a night.
I usually have absolutely no trouble falling asleep. I have a ritual that has always seemed to work for me.... and I have a bout of insomnia only when I fail at my method. Luckily, I typically only have insomnia perhaps one or two times a year. My ritual is very effective for me.
Interestingly, I was reading an article about sleep... online this morning.... here , and was mildly surprised that I had basically developed and followed with my own self designed ritual.... the suggested techniques of the above linked article for myself, simply using logic of what would seem to help:
The five steps to sleep according to the article are:
- Relax your face. Focus on your forehead, your eyes, your cheeks, your jaw, and so on. Feel the tension held in them and consciously push it away.
- Drop your shoulders. Let your arms flop down and your shoulders relax. Imagine there is a soft, warm wind gently pushing your arms down.
- Take a deep breath. Slowly inhale and let it out. As you do so, focus on how it relaxes your stomach. Don’t try to hold your stomach in; let it all out.
- Relax your legs. The warm wind is back, and this time it’s gently easing your legs down. Let your legs sink into the bed or the floor. They are leaden, and the bed is soft.
- Clear your mind. There are a few ways to do this. For instance, try to visualize some calming images, like lying by a flowing river or staring at the clouds. If that doesn’t work, try saying the words “don’t think” over and over for about 10 seconds. If you get distracted, don’t get angry; just pull your mind back to one of those two techniques.
The "clearing your mind" aspect is the most challenging, and is the usual reason I may have that rare bout of insomnia. But, reading something FUN before sleep (like a novel.... and absolutely NOTHING work related) is helpful, and then as I lay down in my sleep position (typically on my side, but sometimes on my stomach).... I guide/allow my mind to "drift".... and the most easily conjured up "drifting" sort of memory I can easily draw upon is the casual, nearly autonomic patterns and behaviors of filling, lighting, and smoking my pipes. Remembering those cherished times and actions gives me such peace and tranquility.... and it is both a peace and a tranquility that is extremely easy to bring into my mind.... that I drift comfortably off to sleep in moments.
With the ease I have in falling asleep, I still do not understand why my memory or retention of the dreams I have while sleeping has declined. It has been this way for perhaps two years now. But, even though I AM starting to recall at least some snippets of dreams again, it is not like it was. And, I am not sure why.
* * * * *
My friend, Pat M. commented that I tend to feel guilty a lot of the time anyway, so why not just go back to smoking my pipes anyway since I tend to easily feel guilt anyway. So, to answer Pat..... I agree with you on the premise of guilt. I do feel guilt when I fail at doing things I say I WILL FIX in myself and DO in order to try to be a kinder, better person. I have thought through many times about whether guilt regarding a return to my pipes is valid. I am still indecisive about it, however. But, I do also admit that I have had a fair number of times, especially recently, where I have thought to myself, "Is this abstaining.... just a waste of time?" I do think about that often.
PipeTobacco
3 Comments:
I do feel guilt when I fail at doing things I say I WILL FIX in myself and DO in order to try to be a kinder, better person.
And there's the irony, Professor. From your writings, it seems pretty clear that you are a kinder and better person when you are communing with your pipes and pipe tobaccos. Abstaining is by definition helping you with your goal of abstaining, but what if it is making you more likely to fail at being the kinder and better person you would like to be?
As for falling asleep, I've sometimes heard a different version of item 5. Instead of "clearing" your mind, you can try to focus it on some simple task. Maybe it's picturing yourself taking a walk along some familiar terrain. Maybe it's "designing" a house floor plan in your mind. Maybe it's something else that is enjoyable and will hold your attention. Focus on your chosen task, and when you catch your mind wandering, redirect it back to the task. Eventually, one of those wanderings will send you to sleep.
Of course, you feel guilty. You are a Catholic. (Said half in jest, but only half.)
I smiled at John's comment. :) I too have my drifting off routine and generally don't have trouble falling asleep. However, if I have to get up earlier than normal, I sometimes have problems.
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