How did we get to be so bad at sleeping? It used to be really easy. Just lay down and a few minutes later it's morning and the alarm is going off and you don't want to get up. Right? Now there are so many variables. Are the sheets cotton, flannel, knit or microfiber? Is the comforter the right thickness.... not too thin so you get cold but not so thick it bunches all up in your face? Do we have the ceiling fan on? How high? Bump the thermostat up? Or down? And pillows... good gracious. Ergonomically correct for which way you sleep... side, back, stomach. One for your legs? Down filled, memory foam, hypoallergenic? Standard size, king size, body size or... ginormous c-shaped ones for pregnant women. Is it wrong to have one of those if you're not pregnant? Asking for a friend. No light, night light, duct tape over the little blue lights on electronic devices it the room? Window up a little? A lot?
Then there's the wardrobe? Long gown - tangles around your legs... short gown - bunches around your waist. Pajamas - cotton, too thin... fleece, too hot. Flannel gets toasty, too. Plus, there was this one time when I had on flannel pajamas and slept in a bed with flannel sheets and I couldn't turn over. There wasn't enough traction to roll. This seriously happened. Socks? Yes or no? And... for some of us, there's the issue of noisy bed partners. Not that I'm telling tales but I've heard that some people snore. Loud. Do you wake them up with a little nudge... or kick in the shins? Put a pillow over your head? Move to another room? Move to the car?
Do you put the TV on timer or cut it off completely? Do you have music or a sound machine playing the ocean or rainforest? Read? Lamplight or clip on light or e-reader? You either have to wake up and turn out the light or the book falls on your face - which negates the sleep thing. Or falls on the floor - again with the negating. Or... you get all into the story and wind up reading til 3 am.
What about sleep aids, essential oils, herbal supplements (Did you know you can get melatonin in a spray you put on your pillow? This would be great if you could figure out the ergonomics.) Then there's Tylenol PM. Funny story about that. One Sunday morning my Daddy got mixed up and took his Tylenol PMs instead of his morning vitamins. He snored all the way through the sermon. Monday morning he went up to the church to apologize to the preacher and he said he didn't notice anything different from every other Sunday. Mama wore her elbow out poking him week after week. Like getting tennis elbow from going to church.
I'm exhausted just thinking about trying to get to sleep - you'd think I'd be good at it. But sadly, no. Now, I can drop right off in the recliner watching Jeopardy, but once my head hits the pillow my eyes pop open and my mind sets to racing like a squirrel in a nuthouse. I read about these mind exercises you do to help you shut down your brain. And they work. But I can never remember if you're supposed to do math problems in your head or recite poems or think up words that start with every letter of the alphabet. So you have to Google it and then there's a new Insta-story or Twitter-tweet and you're off and running again.
So just what am I getting at here? Not sure. Partly hoping I'm not alone. Partly hoping somebody will read this and send me the perfect formula for a good night's sleep. Partly just saying that we all could use a little rest. And offering prayers we get some.
Mama used to put on her pink satin bouffant hair bonnet (so her hairdo would last) and lay her head down on her flat little pillow with the satin pillow case (how in the world her head didn't slide off the side of the bed I'll never know) and go to sleep. Night night, see you in the mornin', she'd say. It was a promise she kept as long as she could. Maybe we just need to remember the morning will come and we get another go a this life thing. So, from Mama and me. Night night. See you in the mornin'.
And from Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Selah.
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