Insomnia

 A few years ago Steven King wrote a book called INSOMNIA. I managed to grab a hard cover copy from a sale counter and learned that while it was in the middle range quality wise as far as King's work goes you could take a book sized hunk out of the thing and have a debatably better book. I'm not commenting on the book itself today beyond that I am talking about actual insomnia. 

I was the sort of person who needed her 8 or 9 hours of sleep or she was cranky all day. Then I got pregnant. Then I had twins. Then I spent the first three or four months getting my sleep in 15 minute lumps no more than a total of three hours per twenty four hour period. Day and night mean nothing in times like that you have to think on a 24 hour basis to understand how time is passing. 

That of course is an extreme experience and even the worst of those pass in time. I eventually worked my way up to 4 to 6 hours a night and started to feel like a human being again. At this point though I literally can't sleep like I did when I was younger. 

To make up for it I learned some rules. 

Lay in a dark room for a period of time each night. Get comfortable and try and think of as little as possible. Common wisdom says keep electronics from the bedside but I find that an audio book playing softly will block out my racing brain and let me drift off. The amount of you tube videos I have turned on and not heard the end of are legion. 

Above all know that there is something called micro naps. Even if it seems like you have been dead eye awake all night you have probably napped at least a little. They're the sort of thing drivers realize they've had when they have been driving for way to long. 

Above all don't give up. Sleep can happen. You just have to accept it wont happen in the same way as you were when you were a kid. 

Tried counting sheep. Didn't work.