USA Today ran a story that stated that 42 million prescriptions
were written for sleeping pills last year. Gone are the days of
counting sheep.
USA Today ran a story that stated that 42 million prescriptions were written for sleeping pills last year. Gone are the days of counting sheep. I always had trouble counting sheep. I always had the proverbial black sheep that would stir things up.
One sheep, two sheep – things were fine until sheep No. 10. The black sheep would jump the fence, a ruckus would ensue, all the other barn animals would get in on the action, and before you knew it, the police were on the scene. As the chickens, pigs and sheep were carted off to jail, the cops’ verbal threats to dine on lamb chops with mint jelly caused things to get uglier. I was left standing in a cloud of dust and chicken feathers as the police car sped away. Needless to say, counting sheep never worked for me.
The story in USA Today listed some tips to help you sleep:
1) Since unresolved problems surface at night, you should avoid this by writing down thoughts and worries before bedtime. After reading this, I told my husband I will no longer talk to him after 11am to avoid a possible spat where he doesn’t admit he’s wrong and apologize, thus robbing me of my sleep. He thanked me for the early birthday gift.
2) Don’t use television or alcohol to knock you out. Natural sleep requires “10 to 15 minutes alone with yourself in the dark.” I’d have to disagree with this one, because I do some of my best sleeping while watching television. It’s been years since I’ve heard the words, “the killer is …” “the winner is …” or “the father is …” To find the answer to these questions, I later watch the tape.
Sleep expects will tell you an environment has to be inducive for sleeping. They suggest you should be unable to read the time on your clock from bed so that you are unaware of the passing hours. This has never been a problem for me since I can’t see a thing once I take off my glasses.
They say “blackout” curtains help you fall asleep and keep out the morning light. However, they don’t tell you once you have kids your nights of uninterrupted sleep are over.
A lock on the door ensures privacy for sleep and sex – the only bedroom activities suggested for problem sleepers. Only, I believe if you are asleep while having sex, you may want to find a more exciting partner.
Only before one sleeps in the bed, one must clear the bed. Clearing the bed can take longer than falling asleep. There is a laundry list of items that must be removed from my bed before I can call it a night:
1) my daughter’s toys
2) the unfolded laundry
3) all the remote controls (both on the bed and on my sleeping husband)
4) the book I’m reading
5) the phone
6) the plate of cookie crumbs
7) my unused exercise weight I didn’t use because I was busy eating cookies, and
8) my sleeping husband – he has to wake up so we can turn down the covers so we can then crawl in and sleep under the covers.
Finally, my head touches the pillow and I start to drift off. And as usual, I am aroused from my sleep due to my husband’s snoring. As I listen to him snore, I realize I don’t need a sleeping pill for a good night’s sleep. I need a silencer.
Cindy Argiento is a free-lance columnist who lives in North Carolina with her family. Her column appears weekly in the Gilroy Dispatch and Hollister Free Lance. She may be contacted at ca*******@*ol.com.
