Day/Blog Post #1

All right, so I ran into an unexpected 'no internet access for a few days' snag there, but things are back to normal! So today is officially Day one of my 30 Day Writing Challenge. Here's the first post I wrote up, but couldn't get on here:

About two months ago, I had a major panic attack. Since then, I have been having trouble sleeping. While I have managed to get the other panicky symptoms under relative control, this one seems to be a lingering black cloud over my head. I find myself too tense to just lay down at bedtime and drift off to sleep. My mind constantly races over various worries, like:

-What was that rumbling sound? (I live right next to the train)

-Why is Gretchen meowing? Does she know something I don’t?

-My breathing seems louder...am I sick?

-My hip hurts sleeping on this couch. Do I have a bone disease?

-Why is that train so loud? (I live right next to the train)

-What if a plane hits my building?

-What if I don’t wake up?

-I just took a deep breath. Why?

-Is that a cancerous bump/mole/scratch/itch?

-Did I lock the door?

-Will this place burn down?

-Why am I thinking these things? Am I foreshadowing a huge disaster/cataclysm?

So, to offset that, I turn on the TV to cartoons and read webcomics until my eyes can no longer stay open. This is normally around 2 or 3 a.m., and then I have to get up around 6:15 for work. I feel like a zombie, I’m out of sorts all day, and the same thing happens when I get home. Rinse and repeat.

I read somewhere that the lights from computer screens trick your brain into staying awake so, ultimately, that doesn’t help me fall asleep. The television doesn’t really affect me, but I wonder if the depth of my sleep is influenced by the constant (although quite low) audio. I’ll have to look that up.

I mean, I love the idea of unwinding after work with a good show and a good comic (or six), but not to the point where I share a bed (read: couch) with my laptop. So I would like to try out a few different remedies for more successful sleep--and hopefully, sleep that begins Before Midnight.

Note: Keep in mind, there are nights where I get good sleep-- with my boyfriend. Normally, when I stay with him, I can fall asleep to some music, or nod off while we watch a show, and be fine. But we don’t live together; and “a good night’s sleep” is not good enough reason to convince my guy to consider cohabitation.

So my goal here is: Good sleep, by myself, without the aid of numerous electronic appliances running all night (My electricity is included in rent, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be aware of my energy consumption).

A few remedies I am considering:

~Chamomile Tea

~Meditation Before Bed

~Carby Dinner (Think pasta)

~Reading a book (one you hold in your hands, with pages)

~Listening to music (Better than the visual stimulation)

The hardest part of this whole thing will be actually getting myself to try these. The last thing I want to do is trigger some kind of discomfort by straying from my normal routine. Let's see what happens.

But tell me: What are your pre-bedtime habits? Are they good? Bad? Have any ideas to help me get better sleep?

~Pusher. Of. Pens.~