I've been on both sides of this seesaw - waking up like clockwork at 3:30 a.m. every night but unable to get through the day without one (or even two naps). Great post, Clint!
All good here, moving into a new apartment at the end of the month, still here in Sitges for the forseeable future (how dreadful, such a hell hole 😂) 💙
I feel your pain! I usually get into bed with a completely inane murder mystery - or maybe read a column or two in a few month's old Harper's. It tends to shift my mental gears into "park"! BTW, found another connection to one of your 'greats' having birthdays today. Back in 1974 or 5, a friend and I were just coming down from an amazing acid trip on a break while I was building my dome in the desert. We'd just "created and let go of" a HUGE wind storm (really) when one of my mates (PhD in English Literature!) who was building HIS house just below mine dropped by with Gary Snyder. We were stark nekkid and did not really appreciate the wonder of who we were trying to have an intelligible conversation with. He must have just been in his own thrall over his prize for "Turtle Island". We really didn't appreciate the encounter until the next day. Ah, such a life!!!
Oh, Dennis, I love that story! I’ve never dropped acid, but if someone could guarantee me a similar experience, I’d do it in a heartbeat. In the meantime, I’ll live vicariously! Cheers, my dears!
Obviously, there are no guarantees but I've heard that there ARE opportunities for "safe, guided" psychedelic experiences with a variety of substances. I've done a variety of 'trips', some more 'enlightening' and/or exciting than others, it WAS the 70's!! (REAL conversations with animals and trees being one thing not possible in any other way I've tried!) There was only one I would describe as a 'bad trip' but, that said, I learned a lot from that one as well. I have and DO still recommend those mind/body explorations. They were like a 'cruise' for your whole being.
I’m not ruling out a guided experience with psychedelics. Just wanna get my duckies in a row before I look into it seriously. Thanks for sharing and caring, Mr. Dunnum! 🌈✌️
Lately I spend hours in bed thinking I'm awake...then I wake up! Of course, I have the regular kind of sleep, too. Just (usually) not enough. So I nap during the day. Rinse, repeat. Yes, it's a negotiation. Even when I was a kid of four or so, my bladder would not let me sleep through the night. That whole side of things is so mysterious. The psychology guys claim to know stuff, but I suspect they don't know nearly as much as they pretend to. Keep on keeping on, CC. We love you even when you're grumpy and impatient, or groggy and not quite there.
Thank you, dear Clarke. I’ve definitely more grumpy and groggy lately. Now that I’m getting used to being in one place again, my sleep seems to be getting better. May my mood follow suit…before I have to file a lawsuit against myself. lol Cheers and wishing you a good night’s sleep sooner than later!
Thanks, Jerry! Love the podcast idea. And I’ll give cognitive shuffling a try. Though I suspect I’ll use it as an excuse to write some poetry. I don’t do it often, but the gravitational force is getting stronger lately. Cheers!
Have you tried counting sheep? (Only kidding!) Vaping helps me get to sleep in 15 minutes when it used to be 2-4 hours at times. As far as the rest (pun intended) it is nice to have no schedule. Get up when I am ready to get up. Sometimes I am up at 6:00 am writing aways. Other times I open my eyes for the first time that day at 9:00 am. Other times, I turn over and go back to sleep several times. The only problem with haveing such a free schedule for me is that I had to be OLD first! Fondly, Michael
🛏️💤
I've been on both sides of this seesaw - waking up like clockwork at 3:30 a.m. every night but unable to get through the day without one (or even two naps). Great post, Clint!
Thank you, dear MTF!!! Getting back into a rhythm I can handle. Hope you’re doing well, my fellow insomniac. Cheers!
All good here, moving into a new apartment at the end of the month, still here in Sitges for the forseeable future (how dreadful, such a hell hole 😂) 💙
Glad you guys are doing well. Especially in such a hell hole! :-p May your move be easy, breezy, and beautiful, Coverboy! :-*
I feel your pain! I usually get into bed with a completely inane murder mystery - or maybe read a column or two in a few month's old Harper's. It tends to shift my mental gears into "park"! BTW, found another connection to one of your 'greats' having birthdays today. Back in 1974 or 5, a friend and I were just coming down from an amazing acid trip on a break while I was building my dome in the desert. We'd just "created and let go of" a HUGE wind storm (really) when one of my mates (PhD in English Literature!) who was building HIS house just below mine dropped by with Gary Snyder. We were stark nekkid and did not really appreciate the wonder of who we were trying to have an intelligible conversation with. He must have just been in his own thrall over his prize for "Turtle Island". We really didn't appreciate the encounter until the next day. Ah, such a life!!!
Oh, Dennis, I love that story! I’ve never dropped acid, but if someone could guarantee me a similar experience, I’d do it in a heartbeat. In the meantime, I’ll live vicariously! Cheers, my dears!
Obviously, there are no guarantees but I've heard that there ARE opportunities for "safe, guided" psychedelic experiences with a variety of substances. I've done a variety of 'trips', some more 'enlightening' and/or exciting than others, it WAS the 70's!! (REAL conversations with animals and trees being one thing not possible in any other way I've tried!) There was only one I would describe as a 'bad trip' but, that said, I learned a lot from that one as well. I have and DO still recommend those mind/body explorations. They were like a 'cruise' for your whole being.
I’m not ruling out a guided experience with psychedelics. Just wanna get my duckies in a row before I look into it seriously. Thanks for sharing and caring, Mr. Dunnum! 🌈✌️
Lately I spend hours in bed thinking I'm awake...then I wake up! Of course, I have the regular kind of sleep, too. Just (usually) not enough. So I nap during the day. Rinse, repeat. Yes, it's a negotiation. Even when I was a kid of four or so, my bladder would not let me sleep through the night. That whole side of things is so mysterious. The psychology guys claim to know stuff, but I suspect they don't know nearly as much as they pretend to. Keep on keeping on, CC. We love you even when you're grumpy and impatient, or groggy and not quite there.
Thank you, dear Clarke. I’ve definitely more grumpy and groggy lately. Now that I’m getting used to being in one place again, my sleep seems to be getting better. May my mood follow suit…before I have to file a lawsuit against myself. lol Cheers and wishing you a good night’s sleep sooner than later!
cognitive shuffling is the new term i learned and it works! similar to "counting sheep" it's where you use random patterns to distract attention so the mind slows. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/well/mind/sleep-cognitive-shuffling.html?unlocked_article_code=1.g1A.4ozx.ozvKx-oikXoB&smid=nytcore-android-share
we've also been listening to episodes of the podcast In Our Time which has a soporific effect
https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/m001thzh
I even wrote about it:
https://www.audible.co.uk/blog/article-melvyn-bragg-in-our-time-podcast-bbc
Thanks, Jerry! Love the podcast idea. And I’ll give cognitive shuffling a try. Though I suspect I’ll use it as an excuse to write some poetry. I don’t do it often, but the gravitational force is getting stronger lately. Cheers!
Brian let's hope you reset soon, 🤞 Cheers DougT 🏴🇬🇧
https://youtu.be/5eU1eQKuBEg?si=NWY_gJUu12Tvvs04
Enjoy the clip, I learned some new facts too.
FUN! I love Ms. Boop…boop, boop, de, boop! 🌈❤️
Have you tried counting sheep? (Only kidding!) Vaping helps me get to sleep in 15 minutes when it used to be 2-4 hours at times. As far as the rest (pun intended) it is nice to have no schedule. Get up when I am ready to get up. Sometimes I am up at 6:00 am writing aways. Other times I open my eyes for the first time that day at 9:00 am. Other times, I turn over and go back to sleep several times. The only problem with haveing such a free schedule for me is that I had to be OLD first! Fondly, Michael
Oh, Mr. Horvich…you crack me up. You’re a wonderful example. I think I’ll go back to bed now. :-p Cheers!