Sleepless Nights
Do you ever have those nights where you just can’t turn off your brain?
Well, I’m having one of those now.
I suffer from chronic migraines, so I often have difficulty getting stuff done in the evenings. I try to push through as best as possible throughout the day, but come evening, I’m exhausted and cannot focus on much. So consequently, my after school projects often fall behind. Then I find myself, like I am right now, running on brain overload at 1:30 am because today, I had a migraine and crashed shortly after I got home from school.
I have slept already for a few hours, so my body feels that I need to get up and do something, but I know I still need to get more sleep. My brain is now wandering and thinking about all of the little things I’d like to get done. Like the posts that I’ve been neglecting to write, my business inventory that I’ve been putting off putting away, contacting my clients, folding my laundry, getting my clothes and lunch ready for tomorrow, so I’m not in a panic in the morning.
Often when this happens, I can just put on a movie that I’ve seen a million times, and I will fall asleep within minutes. (that is totally my thing, sleeping during movies.) But today, that is not working.
I don’t dare to take a sleep aid at this time of night; I’ll sleep right through my alarm. And when I do wake up, I’ll be so exhausted that I won’t be able to function.
So, here I am, almost 2 am, with my tea and laptop, writing, because that is what I’ve found to help. It is working; I just have to get the thoughts out of my brain and onto the computer.
When I started writing earlier this year, my counsellor suggested that I get a pen and paper and actually handwrite what I’m thinking. She said there is something about doing the physical writing that helps with the experience and release. I personally have never liked handwriting. I’ve always veered toward a keyboard, be it a typewriter, a desktop, or my laptop. Handwriting has never been my thing. But I totally get what she is saying because when I take the time to write and get it all out, it feels so amazing.
I get a similar feeling from talking. I can chat for hours with someone, and the topic doesn’t even have to be a big one. I simply love to talk. When I was younger, my mom would give me a hard time about how much I talked and guess what? I totally get it now, lol.
And just like that, I’m now tired and ready to sleep. I didn’t really do any of the items on my task list, but writing about it and getting it out of my head helped me to relax a little.
What are some of the things that you do to help you on nights like this?
