Brain circus insomnia

[Drunk Monk]

Instead of the shoulder pain keeping me awake, it's the sedatives to alleviate that pain.

[El Dingo]

I have discovered (after years of regular insomnia) that the sleep pattern that works for me is sleep 8pm - 2AM, watch a movie for 2 hours, then sleep 2 hours. I am awake and alert throughout the day.

That 2 hours of a dark house with no interruptions (or potential interruptions) is very soothing. I also get to watch movies in darkness with no distractions.

I've read several articles that say different folks have different sleep needs.

Also - to fall asleep you should concentrate on something that relaxes/pleases you. I like amusement parks so I try and design themed rides for an imaginary park in my head. What would a Grateful Dead dark ride look like? Start with a "Pirates of the Caribbean" type ride. How would you theme it around The Dead? What would the boats look like? What scenes would you see? What music would play? Would it be all water? Could you transfer to land-based tracks for a roller-coaster experience?

Basically you are trying to occupy all thoughts of real things causing anxiety with a calming fantasy.

Meditation folks talk of 'clearing the mind'. Easier said than done in today's information age. I say 'fill your mind with creative thoughts'.

[Drunk Monk]

Who is this really?

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

ED is right; I just think about places I've traveled to. That takes my mind away and lets me drift off.

[King Bob]

Am I the only one of us that doesn't have insomnia?

[Greg]

I'm pretty much Insomnia free. But I do wake up at least two times during the night.

[cranefly]

I would likely be diagnosed with narcolepsy.
It's not that I fall asleep standing up or in conversation, but it's almost impossible to sit or lie down to read something, or watch a movie straight through, without taking a nap.  Narcolepsy does cover that behavior.
It sometimes take me weeks to finish reading one short story.  No need to mention how this affects reading comprehension.

It's all part of the new and improved me.

[Drunk Monk]

Just as I drifted off, our grocery box was delivered and Yuki dutifully alerted me. I got up and brought it all in and went back to bed. But now I’m awake and I have an 8M meeting…

I challenged to find a position of comfort. My pain isn’t overwhelming, just uncomfortable, aching in my armpit, upper outside forearm, and the inside palm of my two center finger knuckles. If I keep my arm extended, armpit open, it’s not so bad.

It’s a beautiful night, bright waning gibbous moon after yesternight’s full Thunder moon (which always fuels my insomnia), cool and quiet. I love summer when I can keep my bedroom window open and be blessed by a fresh ocean breeze. It’s pleasant but I should sleep. I still have a lot of healing ahead and there’s no medicine like sleep.

[Greg]

This was going to be my first stop in the morning, too. I popped up at 3am. My brain racing about current events. I, too, twisted to find comfort for an ailing joint.

Good times.

[Drunk Monk]

It's going to be one of those nights, is it? My arm pain is subsiding a bit. I distracted myself by getting a KFM task done. 

Been ruminating about the recent visit of an old friend - Steph. She was connected to Lam Kwoon, the girlfriend of Marc Velez many years ago. She got married to the former head honcho of the Asian Art museum and they had relocated to AZ where they built their dream home. And then, shockingly, two years ago, he was killed by a texting driver (a pet peeve of his I'm told although I never met him). He died in her arms. He was affluent and she inherited enough to effectively retire (she's a little younger than me). She sold their new home - it held too many memories and remote. She has immersed herself in biking and as part of her process, has been traveling the country visiting old friends. She started in May and won't be home again until September. It was good to see her. She looked great - healthy and astonishingly stable. I can't imagine what that sort of catastrophe does to one's soul.

[Drunk Monk]

I dunno bout this nortriptyline. I got so many warnings that it would make me drowsy and here I am, wide awake.

At least there’s a flood of sdcc stuff on social media. I’ve got plenty to surf. 

BTW, LCF - Steph asked after you. I told her you are now a jeopardy champ and she was impressed accordingly. She remembers the cf wedding fondly.

[lady_cranefly]

BTW, LCF - Steph asked after you. I told her you are now a jeopardy champ and she was impressed accordingly. She remembers the cf wedding fondly.

That was sweet! It's good to hear of her, although I'm sorry about her husband.

I remember the cf wedding fondly, too.

[Drunk Monk]

She seems to be doing as well as anyone could, given her circumstances. She's immersed herself in biking, a mutual hobby that she shared with her husband, and does 30-50 milers every day. She has fond memories of the glare you gave all the wedding witnesses when I asked if there were any objections - the speak now or forever hold your peace thing - which I don't remember saying but probably did. It was really good to reconnect with her. I had not seen her in years.

[Drunk Monk]

Nortriptyline night 2: Again I got a bit drowsy after taking it. 

Again I am wide awake a few hours later in the middle of the night cottonmouthed 

However, it's okay because I got some KFM work done that's due tomorrow and now all I have left for that is a tiny social media post on Friday. 

And it does seem to be reducing my nerve pain, which is the most important thing.

Might as well check to see if everything is packed.

[Drunk Monk]

Heard some gunshots in the distance a while ago but it’s quiet now - a cool ocean breeze is coming through my bedroom window. Either a skunk went by or a pot smoker recently but that odour has cleared out. I can hear a sea lion, most likely from the pier, only one, barking into the night for the whole neighborhood to hear.