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Saturday, March 7, 2009

Counting Sheep


Last night, I could not fall asleep. I worked late, I could hear the kids laughing as they waited to go on their trip, Annie was out for the night so I worried about her, the dog kept growling (at the kids laughter), and the husband snored.

I have had sleep issues many times. I like to try to fall asleep before Sergio, but that doesn't often happen. The worst culprit is usually thinking too much. Worry worry worry! The "what ifs, what abouts, and oh, I forgot..."Counting sheep never worked for me. But I have been known to try counting. I have tried television, radio and reading. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Here are a couple of winners that have worked for me:
Yoga Relaxation: You tighten your muscles (all) and slowly, starting at the head working toward the toes, relax each muscle and talking yourself into the relaxation; "my forehead is relaxed, my eyes are relaxed", and so on.

Home Tour & Design: As a Realtor, I have visited hundreds of homes. They are cataloged in my brain. I often would take a home tour (and still do)and redesign with our stuff or how we would decorate. I have done this with friends homes as well. You have to start through the front door and tour each nook & cranny. I rarely make it through a home complete.


These usually work, but if all else fails, then get up and go Blogging!

6 comments:

skywind said...

Insomnia is really torture the people. You should relax yourself, nothing to think about, slowly may be asleep. :)
Health is the Greatest Happiness
The World at The Present

Linda said...

Oh how I can relate.

I've NEVER been a sound sleeper. Ever since I can remember, even as a little girl, I've worried and my mind is always active with non-stoppable thoughts and images.

Relaxation techniques don't work with me - instead I'm thinking through the techniques the entire time at how silly I feel and my mind wanders to the next thought, and so on.

I too like to try to get to sleep before my husband but that doesn't always happen.

Seems my daughter is the same way. Sometimes it takes me 2 hours to fall asleep, no matter how tired I am, and then I always wake up through the night many times.

Fire Byrd said...

Sleep... what's that???
A technique that works for me is... deep breath in and out and then say 20 out loud, then after next breathe in and out 19 etc down to 0, You'll stop being able to say the numbers out before you reach 0 and should fall asleep.
xx

Vevay Anderson said...

I have struggled with insomnia my whole life. I take a mild sleeping pill, but sometimes that doesn't even work. I always get in the bed an hour before I want to sleep, and read. That usually works for me, but sometimes has the opposite effect. Let me suggest reading 'The Grapes of Wrath' to help you sleep. It put me to sleep so quickly that it took me forever to finish reading it!

Anonymous said...

Try adding some soft music, no words to the i-pod. This should help falling asleep. Plus you wont here sergio snoring.Goodluck! Jan,on your photo album there is someone that I reconize. Her name is becky. I can't place where I know her from. Ask her If she knows me. D

Lori ann said...

Oh, that's hard. I hope you find the comments here helpful, everyone needs a good nights sleep!
good luck,
xx lori