I C A N ‘ T S L E E P

Do any of you ever have trouble getting to sleep? Do
you ever find yourself looking at your clock and thinking
“okay, if I get to sleep right now, I’ll get seven hours
of sleep…six hours of sleep…five hours of sleep…”?
Do you feel jealous of those people who fall asleep
quickly; almost immediately after putting their head on
their pillow? If you answered yes to any, or all, of these
questions then that’s one thing that you and I have in
common.
For someone who loves sleeping so much, I am definitely
horrible at it. When I finally get to sleep, if I have
no plans or responsibilities the next day, I could sleep
through the entire day. However, the problem is getting
to that sleeping point, because it is quite difficult for me.
Now you may be thinking, ‘exactly how difficult are we
talking?’ Well, I can lay in my bed for an hour or two, just
staring at the ceiling, unable to get to the point where
I’m relaxed enough to sleep.
Of course, when I am getting ready for bed, it’s not
like I am in the “lay-in-bed” frame of mind at all times.
On the contrary, I like to close my day, by watching videos
on my phone. I’ll watch movies and TV shows on
Netflix, as well as a variety of YouTube videos. By doing
this, I know I am going against all of the advice people
give regarding proper bedtime preparation habits, but
the suggested tips just do not work for me. Believe me,
I’ve tried. I’ve tried drinking warm milk, I’ve tried taking
a warm shower, I’ve tried listening to soothing music
and I’ve tried just putting all my devices away. But each
time I’ve taken these actions, it has resulted in me—big
surprise—lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. Along
with this, you can also find me becoming increasingly
frustrated over the fact that I can’t sleep. So then I give
up and just grab my phone and scroll through social
media before I fall asleep without realizing it. But I want
this to change. I want to be able to fall asleep without
having to watch five hours of mindless television beforehand.
And that is why I am writing this tidbits, because
I am hoping one of you would have tips and advice for
me, on how to sleep faster and better.
However, I was also thinking about the causes behind
my inability to sleep at a decent time. Because, this
hasn’t always been the case. When I was in high-school
and younger, I used to be in bed by 9:00pm and asleep
by 10:00pm. It was only after starting college, did my
sleep habits become what they are now. And, yes, part
of the blame does go towards the fact that I stay up
watching mindless television, but I think another part of
the blame should go towards the fact that I worry about
everything and can’t seem to ever relax. So, while most
people get to a relaxed stage which allows them to
sleep, I fret and worry for hours, ultimately deciding to
watch television to take my mind off of everything and
end up—as I mentioned above—falling asleep without
realizing.
So what does a 24-year-old even have to worry
about? Well, you’d be surprised. I worry about my
classes, how well I’m doing in them and passing them.
I worry about my future, where I’ll end up and how successful
I’ll be. I worry about my family and friends and
whether or not they’ll live long, safe and healthy lives.
I worry about my relationships with certain friends and
family members, and the fact that, no matter what I do,
we seem to be drifting apart. And this hurts me deeply
because these have been people who I’ve grown up
with and consider as close as family. Then, added to
that, I worry that I’m over-analyzing everything and that
things aren’t as bad as I’m making them out to be. I
worry about everything going on in the world, about the
pain and suffering people go through, and the fact that
there is nothing I can do to help.
But here’s the thing. Half of the worries I have, I
shouldn’t, because they are out of my control. I can work
hard towards having a good future but ultimately, as my
mom always tells me, God has a plan for everyone and
I just need to let things happen as they are planned.
And when it comes to world issues or relationships with
people in my life, as long as I do the right thing, I can’t
control how others behave. On the other hand, when it
comes to the concerns that are in my control, I just need
to keep reminding myself that—every time I have worried
about something—it has always turned out well. So
maybe I just need to relax? Unfortunately, for me, that
is easier said than done.
So here is where you come in. How do you turn off
your brain for the night and relax? Are there any unique
actions you take or helpful tips you may have? I would
like all the advice I can get. Because I’m tired (pun
not intended) of being a zombie all day. Write to me at
trishna@thepostnewspaper.net!