Trouble Getting Out Of Bed
happiness consists of getting enough sleep
stop howling at the moon
If I remember correctly the header is a quote from R.A. Heinlein’s ‘Starship Troopers’, and reflects what it’s like to be pushed to the very limit, which I’m not, I live an almost idyllic life. I am getting my 7 hours a night, and yet lately I’ve been struggling to get out of bed in the morning. On top of that, for the first hour or so of the day I’ve been feeling groggy and listless.
That’s a very different issue to lack of sleep, and it’s called Dysania ~ trouble getting out of bed in the morning.
One reason for the feeling of just wanting to stay in bed is that there’s nothing worth getting up for. And I can’t be blamed for feeling a bit like that. Today is lockdown day 451, so for more than 16 lunar months I have been almost imprisoned at home, with nothing to do, nowhere to go, and nobody to see. All those of us who are independently wealthy, or laid off, or ‘working from home’, are entitled to have that feeling that we might as well just stay in bed. Worse when we do get up we might have the feeling that there’s nothing worth getting washed, shaved, and dressed in clean clothes for.
I have worked hard at not falling completely into that trap. I have some support, a person who I am accountable to, someone I go online with early every morning, and that ‘accountability partner’ does drag me out of bed. Another thing that gets me up and going is writing this blog, which is an almost every day thing for me. And, so help me God, I bought an Alexa which plays 70s and 80s hits every damn morning ~ until and unless I tell her to shut up.
I live in a small loft apartment, that has un-shaded skylights, so the dawn also helps me to wake up, although lately it’s still hard to get out of bed. The other thing I have is a daily plan, what’s on the agenda for today, and it does help if you know you have something you should be doing, maybe something that you really enjoy.
There’s a few damn good reasons it’s hard for me to get out of bed; anxiety, depression, stress, and poor physical fitness ~ all of which can be attributed to being locked up in solitary confinement for 451 days ~ by order of my own fucking stupid government.
But take heart, we can still be busy doing nothing.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
it’s worth getting out of bed just to see the dawn
Better Sleep
true happiness means getting enough good sleep
insomnia is subtle torture
Sleeping well is vitally important to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Conversely, insomnia is stressful and will eventually make you ill.
Scientific surveys tell us that most people require between 6 and 8 hours of good sleep every night.
You can’t store sleep up in advance, but you can make up for lost sleep afterwards.
For good sleep you should go to bed at the same time every evening, and get up at the same time every morning.
Sleep medication only works for a little while. One should never take sleep aids for longer than a couple of weeks.
Smokers will never get a settled night’s sleep until months after they quit.
Booze may send you to sleep, but thereafter it ruins your night’s rest. Drinkers will never get a settled night’s sleep until they have had a little sobriety.
Drinkers will tend to have vivid and sometimes disturbing dreams.
Caffine in coffee or tea has very little effect on sleep.
Eating late at night will prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. Don’t eat within two hours of going to bed.
The blue light from your phone or tablet will stop you from falling into deep REM sleep, the kind of sleep we all need.
Watching TV in your bedroom late into the night will prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
A lack of real daylight during waking hours will prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Plenty of fresh air and exercise during the day promotes good sleep.
Bedrooms should be cool, dark, and quiet.
Your subconscious mind should associate your bedroom with only two things; sleep and sex.
Some say they can get by on 2 or 3 hours sleep a night. And that the only time they have problems is when they are trying to sleep. All I know is that early to bed and early to rise make one healthy, wealthy, and wise.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
don’t spend too long gazing at the moon
that’s for lunatics
Sleep Well
Tired minds don’t plan well. Sleep first, plan later. ~ Walter Reisch
Insomnia
Not getting enough good sleep causes all kinds of problems. You lose sharpness, your concentration and memory suffers, you get bad tempered and irritable, you gain weight and look terrible. Really sustained lack of sleep is very serious; it weakens your immune system, leads to heart and circulatory problems, increases your risk of diabetes, kills your sex drive, and if it goes on for long enough it will lead to your early death.
A long lie-in at the weekend doesn’t help either. That long lie-in is not good sleep, all it will do is give you the equivalent of jet-lag on Monday morning. Changing your sleeping patterns at the weekend is bad, you should aim to go to bed at the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning ~ no matter what day of the week it is.
Drinking too much just before bed time will not help you to sleep either ~ you might pass out and be dead to the world for a few hours, but you will wake up disgustingly early, feeling very thirsty, and looking like something the cat dragged in. It’s best not to touch any booze for an hour or so before you go to bed ~ instead drink some water, water is good for you.
Using your tablet or laptop late at night isn’t good either, the blue light fries your brain and that stops you from having a good sleep. Playing computer games late at night means that your brain isn’t relaxed when you go to bed, a part of your mind is still concentrating on whatever game you were playing. Using social media late at night is worse, part of your mind will be racing with what you’ve just learned and said.
If your bedroom is too warm, not dark enough, and not quiet enough, then you will not sleep well either. You need a dark, cool, quiet, and peaceful environment to sleep well. If your partner keeps you awake a night; snoring, being restless, or whatever, then one of you should sleep in a different bedroom.
You need between 6 an 8 hours of good sleep every single night of the week. If you get less than 6 hours sleep then you will be running on adrenaline he following day.
Some say that they don’t need much sleep, they do fine with four or five hours a night. And that sleep is just for losers. All I know is that people who don’t get enough sleep look really old.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
eating a narcotic laden apple to get to sleep might just be a bad idea
Lack of Sleep
to sleep ~ to sleep ~ perchance to dream
Some of us may believe that we suffer from insomnia and resort to taking powerful prescription sleeping pills before bedtime. Others may believe that they just can’t sleep unless they’ve had a few alcoholic drinks at bedtime. Some of us may suffer from restlessness, nightmares, night sweats, or night terrors. And then, some of us just know that we never get a good night’s sleep.
Let me tell you that if you really don’t sleep at all then bad things will happen to you; confusion, hallucinations, lack of concentration, memory loss, mood swings, physical illness, and then you will die. About 10 or 11 days without any sleep at all will kill you.
Rest and sleep are a vital part of a life that is filled with health, vitality, and well-being ~ and here are some things that will help you to have enough restful sleep;
- Get some fresh air and exercise during the day. Try walking 10,000 steps a day, mostly outside.
- Don’t use social media, for about an hour before bedtime. Try to leave the day behind you well before you retire for the evening.
- Don’t eat very much for about an hour before bedtime.
- Don’t drink too much booze, especially just before you go to bed. If you are buzzed, then you can forget having a good night’s sleep.
- Have your bedroom dark, quiet, and fairly cool ~ if you’re sweating at night, either you’ve been drinking or your bedroom is too warm.
- Don’t let your pet into the bedroom, especially don’t let your pet on your bed.
- Go to bed at about the same time every night, and get out of bed at about the same time every morning. And, never, ever hit the snooze button on your alarm.
Mostly if you can’t sleep it’s one of 2 things; not enough fresh air and exercise during the day, too much booze.
Or, you could think you’re in love, or you’re worried about something. If that’s the case, leave those disturbing thoughts and feelings until tomorrow.
Whatever you do, avoid taking sleeping tablets because they will ruin your whole life.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
to relax myself to sleep
I listen to my breathing and imagine gentle waves on a pleasant beach
Not Sleeping is Very Bad
Insomnia turns an earthly paradise into a place of torture.
If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes of getting into bed and turning off the lights, if you toss and turn and wake up several times in the night, if you don’t wake up feeling instantly refreshed and ready to hit the ground running, then you are not getting enough good sleep.
Scientific studies show that for good health almost everyone needs 7 or 8 hours of good sleep, every single night of their adult lives. Not getting enough good sleep does really bad things to you.
Just some of the bad effects of lack of sleep are; depression, diabetes, fatigue, heart diseases, heart attack, high blood pressure, poor immune system leading to illness, impulsive behaviours, irritability, paranoia, stroke, suicidal thoughts, and Death.
All of us know exactly that some of the things some of us do from time to time will prevent us from sleeping well at night; not getting enough fresh air and exercise during the day, drinking too much booze, eating late at night, using social media late at night, not going to bed at the same time every night, staying in bed late at weekends, having unresolved issues that prey on our mind, having an untreated mental illness, having our bedroom too warm, too noisy, and not dark enough, being in a dysfunctional relationship, hanging out in bars, casual sex…..
I’ve got a bad case of the 3.00 am guilts ~ you know, when you lie in bed awake and replay all those things you didn’t do right? Because, as we all know, nothing solves insomnia like a nice warm glass of regret, depression, paranoia, and self-loathing. ~ D. D. Barant.
Some things that most of us do will disrupt our internal body clock, our circadian rhythm, and prevent us from getting a decent night’s sleep, for night after night after night. Who knew that our internal body clock is so important to good sleep and good health? If you do stuff that fucks up disrupts your internal body clock, resulting in a lack of good sleep, you will seriously damage your physical, mental, and spiritual health and fitness.
All the things that will help ensure that we will always have a good night’s sleep are so bleeding obvious that a child of 5, or 6, or 7 already knows them, instinctively.
- Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends and vacations.
- Get plenty of fresh air and exercise. Get out and walk for an hour a day, (10,000 steps), but not too late in the day.
- Get plenty of sunlight during the day ~ tricky if you live in northern England like me, (or Canada, or Alaska, or Scandinavia…).
- Avoid caffeine later in the day. It’s a stimulant, and the caffeine in a cup of coffee will take about 6 or 8 hours to wear off.
- Do not smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant, smoking affects your breathing, you will get nicotine withdrawal through the night and wake up, you will have nightmares for years after you stop smoking. Smokers never sleep well.
- Booze. Don’t drink to much, especially late at night. A glass of wine / hard booze just before you go to bed will stop you from getting a decent night’s rest. Trust me, people who drink late at night, most nights, are three parts of the
smeggingway to being an alcoholic. - Do not eat late at night. Don’t eat anything much for a couple of hours before bed-time.
- Don’t take a nap after three in the afternoon.
- Have a relaxing hot bath just before bed-time. Light some candles, play some relaxing music, turn off your racing mind.
- Have a dark bedroom, quiet bedroom, cool bedroom, gadget free bedroom, and no
fuckingblue light from your phone / tablet / computer shining all night. - Forget all the bad things from the day, especially the ignorant
son of a bitchperson who cut you up on the freeway on your way to work. - Finally, if you just cannot get to sleep, then don’t just lie in bed fretting. If you really cannot sleep, get up and do something else instead, (but none of the bad things listed above).
One thing that some doctors say will result in a restored sleep cycle and better sleep is using marijuana, pot, cannabis. There are some serious downside risks to the cannabis user, such as; anxiety, breathing problems, poor coordination, damaging a child in the womb, hallucinations, heart attacks, impaired thinking and cognitive functions, nausea, road traffic accidents, smoking anything is a known health risk, suicide, paranoia and schizophrenia, being arrested, losing your job, and Death. All other drugs you can take to help you sleep are worse than marijuana, especially in the longer term. (Anyhow, I would never sleep with anyone who uses drugs. Come to that, I wouldn’t have lunch with a drug user.)
Some say that going without sleep for night after night is dangerous. And, that eventually going without sleep will kill you, after 11 days or so. All I know is that not sleeping is very, very unpleasant.
~
Insomnia
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
you may be able to tell that I didn’t sleep well last night
Air Pollution and Insomnia
The health effects of air pollution imperil human lives.
So, you have trouble sleeping? Air pollution in your bedroom could be the reason you suffer from insomnia. If the air in your bedroom isn’t as sparkling clean and clear as the freshest mountain breeze, it’s quite likely that you will suffer from insomnia.
The clever people in white coats tell us that people living in areas with raised nitrogen dioxide levels, (for example if you live near a busy road), were up to 60% more likely to suffer from sleep deprivation than were people living in places that had clean air.
These new findings indicate the possibility that commonly experienced levels of air pollution not only affect heart and lung disease, but also sleep quality. ~ Dr. Martha E. Billings
Air pollution increases the risk of you having breathing problems during sleep ~ which will naturally wake you up, or at least give you poor quality sleep. Breathing problems during sleep have also been linked to night terrors and nightmares.
So what can you do to improve the quality of the air you breathe in your home, and especially in your bedroom at night?
- Use non toxic paints when you decorate.
- Sanitize your telephone frequently, and never use the phone late at night, or when you’ve been drinking. And, never, ever smoke in your bedroom.
- Choose hard floors over carpets ~ carpets are just a jungle of muck, dirt, pet dander and dust. If you can’t easily change your flooring vacuum at least twice a week.
- Choose solid wood furniture over composites which will give off formaldehyde over time.
- Turn your mattress frequently, use a washable mattress topper and wash it weekly
- Use allergen proof pillows, and change your pillowcases every couple of days. Change all your bed linen weekly.
- Don’t put clothes you have worn outside on the bed.
- Open the windows on breezy days to air your home.
- Buy an air purifier for the bedroom. The EPA has a guide to air cleaners in the home.
- Have air filtering plants in your home, especially in your bedroom. Choose low-maintenance varieties such as; Mother-in-Law’s Tongue / Snake Plant, Spider Plant, Garden Mum, (the garden mum removes formaldehyde, benzine, and trichloroethylene from the air), Boston Fern, and the Peace Lily. Think about a nice, green, air filtering plant on your desk at work.
Our homes are not the safe haven we think they are. Most people are adversely affecting their health just by breathing the air in their homes and offices. You too can be affected in lots of ways when you are continually exposed to the polluted air in your own bedroom, and particularly around your own bed. You may suffer problems such as; skin complaints, breathing difficulties, and insomnia.
Sleep disturbance is especially common in women, starting at their midlife. As good sleep is essential for good health, it’s important that we do something to improve the quality of our rest at night. And it behoves us to improve the quality of our sleep, starting right now.
O sleep, O gentle sleep. Nature’s soft nurse, how I have frightened thee. That though no more will weigh my eyelids down, And steep my senses in forgetfulness. ~ Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Your dirty phone may be affecting your health.
Air Purifier at Amazon
JackCollier7 
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