Sleep

Sleep is a very precious commodity in my life right now. Anybody who has ever lived with me knows that I do not fall asleep easily. It sometimes will take me hours and hours of staring at the ceiling as my mind wonders through the events of the day or things that are going to happen the next day. I usually stay up until the wee hours of the morning waiting for myself to get tired!!

Digression: This isn't a recent problem, I've had it my entire life. I remember having to go to bed..like all children..before I was tired. I would lie awake for hours..listening to my parents talking in the room next to me or just coming up with games to keep myself entertained. I would pretend I was an orphan(or homeless) and that all I had to keep warm was a pillow case. I would try to crawl into my pillowcase to stay warm.
Some of my favorite childhood memories includes a time I was laying awake..probably telling myself a story... when suddenly I hear my Mom scream in terror from the next room. I then hear my dad call out to her, "What's wrong," only to hear my mom squeal back, "A mouse just ran over my toe!" I just sat giggling in my bed..cus I was supposed to be asleep! (At least that's how I remember it!)

Recently, thanks to Christy, I have discovered a new way to help me fall asleep. I concentrate on breathing in and out... AND NOT thinking of anything else. Surprisingly although it sounds cheesy this almost always works and I fall asleep in a few minutes.

Well, no longer... I have been learning about sleep cycles in one of my classes and breathing and respiratory stuff in another class. Now when I try to just think of breathing in and out... my mind wants to describe exactly the pressure required for the oxygen to exchange with carbon dioxide in the alveoli, and that my brainstem can cause involuntary control but I can override that with my cerebral cortex..blah...blah..blah

I am very sad to lose my sleeping aide :(
(Ugh PA school!!)