My Crazy Internal Cock-a-Doodle-Do!

Do you find it difficult to wake up in the morning? I do. I think it has to do with the fact I rarely sleep well and I wake up at an ungodly hour most days. My definition of an "ungodly" hour is 3 am.
​​​Waking up at 3 am stinks on many levels:
Level One: It is an "ungodly" hour.
Level Two: See Level One.
Level Three: It's too early to do anything around the house because I don't want anyone else be tired too. This includes my husband, Russell. (See? I am nice to him!)
Level Four: See Level One again.

What to do? ​What to do? 

I try to be productive. At 3 am this means updating my "Watch" list on Netflix or surfing the web or Facebook or Twitter or whatever. I mean, come on! It's 3 am! Who in their "right mind" is "productive at 3 am? (I did say "right mind.")

Seriously though, I do try to be productive. I try to envision myself asleep and use visualization to help. I envision myself,  blissfully walking along the shore, at sunset, in Hawaii, with a tan and a glass of wine. (My visions are very specific.) Sometimes, I am even strolling along with my husband! I try to not focus on the various  parts of my body that hurt (which is usually the reason I wake up) and I try NOT to sleep. Say what? Yep. "Experts" say don't try to fall asleep because it will not work. Here are some things I do try when nothing works.
1. I try not to get frustrated.
2. I try all my "comfortable" sleep positions. (You know the ones, the ones that NEVER work at 3 a-freaking-m!)
3. I try stretching my sore bits (so everywhere.)
4. I try a lavender eye pillow my mommy, Ellen, made me.
5. I take 200mg of magnesium, which sometimes helps.
6. I lie there,  in a place I dream about returning to all day long, wishing my crazy internal "cock-a-doodle-do" was not set for 3 am, getting more frustrated by the minute! So, actually, forget Number 6 please.
7. See Number 1, again.
8. Same as above.

In the end, I study my Greek language lessons, read, write emails or watch Netflix programs. Sometimes, I research things I've been curious about, which is a lot of stuff. You see, it may sound silly, but waking up at 4 am is totally different than waking up at 3 am. (4 am is hideous, BUT, it's nearly "morning." 3 am means I am up and that's that.) My irritation about waking up at 3 am only adds to my frustration about it. It's a vicious cycle... Sometimes, when I wake up in the middle of the night (or what I think is the middle of the night) I do not allow myself to peek at my clock for fear it is 3 a-freaking-m. Sometimes, when I cave and peek at the clock (most of the time I cave and peek) it's 12:30 am! At 12:30 am, I'm SO F^@$ing mad I woke up and thought it was time to wake up, I order myself to fall back asleep - come hellfire or brimstone! It works too! (Explain that?!) To add insult to injury, even if I wake up at 3 am, it does not follow I will still be "on time." Now, that is just plain unfair! Again, it's a vicious (albeit, a bit crazy) cycle. 

Please share if you have trouble sleeping and your tips for falling back to sleep. We can all be a little crazy together in the middle of the night.


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