English: Мy friend is Wikipedian. Русский: Мой друг – википедист. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Being a friend to yourself, comes just when we need it. When conflicts of interest seduce us into confusion, into late nights of activity; a talk perhaps or a project, a subject of interest, yahoo news perhaps – it is then that being a friend to yourself lovingly redirects our thoughts to the priority of sleep.
During sleep, our friend reminds us that we will heal. We will receive treatment for the stressful day, better than medicine. We will allow our broken neuronal connections to regenerate. Our pantry will restock for clear thinking, kind behaviors to ourselves and emotions with ingredients like cortisol, hormones and neurotransmitters. During sleep, our memories will find there place in the folds between our cells and plant.
When someone wants to talk to us, a conflict grows importantly, or when we mistake good parenting for enabling bad sleeping habits in our children, our friend, Me, says sleep. Clarity and inner congruence swath us then and we know that we can’t give what we don’t have. Tomorrow we can do those things. Now, it’s time to sleep.
To ally yourself with your friend, Me, keep a sleep journal for a week and see how it looks.
Self-Care Tip: Sleep. Be a friend to yourself.
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With all one’s frustrations and anxieties how can one sleep? And have the kind of sleep that is restorative? One mantra I have adopted is to do everything I can to resolve issues each day. Knowing I can do no more brings some serenity for quality sleep. The key is to really apply yourself in the effort at resolutions or the contentment is false and short lasting. You can’t fool the sandman. ” To ally yourself with your friend.” Now that makes sense: to become your own ally instead of our own worst enemy.
thank you carl. to become one’s own ally – who would of thought that is part of sleeping well?
Good reminder. Things look better in the morning most of the time.
thank u M. this can save many of us from despair.
Ah, to sleep…with Fibromyalgia flare pain searing throughout one’s body. I go to bed. I don’t read. I don’t boot up the computer. I don’t play a game – sudoku or crossword or whatever – nothing to stimulate my mind. The room is totally dark. There is a white noise hum in the room and that’s all the noise. I do all the right things and I’m really sleepy. Definitely time for the sandman and I’m ready. And then the pain takes over and bedtime becomes a nightly nightmare. Take a pain killer? Take a drug to sleep? Get up every ten minutes to add more ben gay to yet another part of the screaming body? And then try to make it through the next day after a night of broken sleep and with a drug “hangover”.
I’m sorry. Say what you will about how important sleep is and I will agree one hundred percent. Just tell me how to make it happen for those of us in chronic pain without making the day after a day of foggy uselessness and excruciating exhaustion.
Did I get the point across that sleep is currently a touchy subject for me? Did you notice that grouchiness is a big part of lack of sleep, too? It’s either growl or cry and neither make for a day following a sleepless night any better. And, no, I don’t allow myself to nap during the day. I want to be able to sleep a night. (And I’d laugh about that last comment but it’s not funny.)
Hang in there “Grandma”. I don’t have a magic answer. Some nights are better than others. But I would agree the biggest challenge for me is to give myself “permission” to sleep when it feels like there is still so much to be done or I’m in too much pain to relax. Blessings to you and may you sleep well tonight!
Thank you, Louise. Your’s is a kind wish and I appreciate it. However, quite honestly, l have not slept through the night in probably 30 years. I’m afraid I’ve given up hoping for that kind of miracle. I’m okay, though, most of the time. You learn to live with it after all this time.
second
I apologize. I am really having a very difficult time with what seems to be an unending fibromyalgia flare, and, obviously, I’m not handling it very well. Could be I’m tired…or in pain…or both…or just scared. Whatever, I didn’t intend to come off as pathetic as I think I did in my above comment. Please consider the source and just know that it’s good to vent occasionally when nothing else seems to be working. Thanks.
I wish I could give you a hug, “Grandma”. I do think I understand some of what you’re feeling. It’s not pathetic! You are in pain and remember having good sleep, but it was years ago. Some days you probably feel like you’re in a “fog”. Feel free to vent. That’s what we’re here for… Please know you are not alone.
hey louise! yay. always happy to hear u. thx for engaging.
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thank u “Trouble” :). Connecting is an honor and pleasure. muchos.