Counting Sheep

Posted in Ponderings by

Why is it that we count sheep when we can’t sleep?
Are dogs bilingual?
How do newbie penguins know their travel route every winter?  
What language is ‘kumbaya?’ Where did this saying come from?
How do we actually know we’re all seeing colours the same way if we can’t see what each other see?
I’ve realized that bras are really bags for your boobs. They’re like boob bags! 
Who was the first person that looked at moldy cheese and thought, “This will be delicious!”
When you get down to basics, the brain is just a lump of meat.
Who invented math? Was it a discovery or an invention? 

And these are the myriad thoughts racing through my mind at all hours of the night. I lay in bed pondering random questions and powerful revelations (i.e. boob bags). I know, thought-provoking stuff, right?

I’m tired y’all (felt like that sentence needed some twang). I can’t seem to shut off the piece of meat that is my brain. The annoying thing is that it’s not even my child keeping me up, nope, it’s all my own doing. I’m convinced I have some undiagnosed anxiety. This anxiety prevents me from going to bed unless I know I can hit the pillow snoring, which is very rare unless I self-medicate with sleepy teas or ZzzQuil. The main issue is I panic when my mind wanders into morbid realities and then I inevitably spiral. Thus, to circumvent this from happening, I tend to compartmentalize my thoughts in rapid succession. Yep, the name of the game at bedtime is distraction, distraction, distraction.

I’ve tried so many ways to naturally doze off without the use of sleep aids, but they have proven to be short-lived or unsuccessful. I’ve tried everything from the slow breathing technique to the dark room method to counting sheep. Sometimes, I even recite the alphabet backwards as fast as I can because I like to pretend one day it’ll be a useful skill that will come in handy and for some unbelievable reason I will be the only person prepared to do this at record pace, ha! Truly, I’ve run out of ideas! Help!?

Do you have a sleep routine? What are your go-to methods for falling asleep?

 

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35 thoughts on “Counting Sheep”

    • Yes! As I said, this is totally my fault… bad sleeping habits (phone, sleeping late) is contributing to this terrible cycle…. Hoping to muster some energy for regular workouts again and get back into reading!

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  4. I’m so sorry you have trouble falling asleep – that truly is an awful feeling! I normally don’t have a problem falling asleep or staying that way, except when I’m pregnant. Then I get pregnancy induced insomnia, and it’s terrible! I have so much sympathy for always feeling that way. I can’t even imagine! So no advice, but all my sympathy!

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  5. I’ve struggled with going to sleep my whole life. While I was working, I used to lie in bed, worrying about how to help children in my class. I don’t like taking sleeping pills, but they’ve been part of my routine for decades. Since I retired, I seem to sleep better because there is not so much stress in my life. My wife can fall asleep anywhere in a couple of minutes. Since we both are world-class snorers, we have to sleep in separate rooms.

    I am super fussy about my environment. It’s got to be dark (another difference with my wife as she likes light in the room) and cool (finally something we agree on). What works best for me is to read right until the point where my eyes can no longer stay open, and then I finally sleep well.

    I laughed at your thought list because I’ll think of random things like that. I can’t say I’ve ever thought of “boob bags,” though. 🤣

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    • We are exactly alike! I need complete darkness and I don’t like hearing the creaks of floorboard and the aircon so I wear one ear plug! My husband can sleep anywhere within a minute! I have been a bit reliant on sleep meds too which I have tried to cut back on just so that I can develop independent sleep habits… here’s hoping I can get back into a better sleep routine! Thanks Pete!

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    • Thanks Michelle! Yea… I’m all out of hope too. I really just need to sleep earlier, get rid of the darn phone and read more I think. Mind and body exercises have helped me in the past.. maybe I will try again… The pandemic has just been such a drag and it leaves me unmotivated to do many things! I’m surprised I’ve kept up with blogging to be honest with you!

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  8. Fun and well-written post! While I am a notoriously good sleeper, there are some nights, once in a very blue moon, where it seems to take forever to fall asleep. What helps me is doing all 50 states in my head alphabetically. And deep, slow breaths.

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    • Oh, all 50 states yes that’s a good one! I can do all Canada provinces! 🙂 I sometimes count backwards from 100 but soon as I reach 75 and I am not asleep I give up due to impatience lol… Thanks for reading! 🙂

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  9. Oh girl, that sounds like torture 😦 Do you have any fears that you think are at the root of the anxiety? I know my sister has tried melatonin, and that sometimes works. Gosh, I’m sorry this sucks! I also think meditating before bed could be life altering! Let me know if you end up trying either of these thing and hang in there sister 😴

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    • haha never thought of those!

      ohh yes I could check out spotify! Didn’t even think to try that! My daughter sleeps with a sound machine.. Maybe I just need an equivalent… I used to practice yoga and it was very calming but yea, maybe getting into it just before bed might be helpful. I’m at a point where I’m willing to try just about anything!

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