Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge* Day 3
{Read Day 1 here, and Day 2 here}
Superpower Day. If you had a superpower – what would it be? How would you use it?
At first I despised the prompt* for this post. “Superpower”, really? I can’t even really explain it but the idea of it got under my skin.
Until I thought of my superpower. Now I’m all about it.
My superpower would be to be a super awesome, consistent, out-when-my-head-hits-the-pillow-wake-up-eight-hours-later-feeling-fresh-and-ready-for-anything SLEEPER.
Man, that would be amazing.
I’ve never been a great sleeper. The serious trouble didn’t start until college but even as a kid I remember having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep (no doubt due in part to my small bladder/big thirst, I’m going to be in serious trouble when I’m pregnant…maybe I should just make a bed in the bathroom).
At 22 I was struck with a deep and long-lasting case of insomnia. I didn’t sleep for 9 months (I don’t know if that is technically possible-probably not-but I didn’t feel like I fell asleep ONCE for those first 9 months). For the next 7 years I ran on little to no sleep and it took a toll on every aspect of my life. My immune system was a disaster, I caught every little bug that came my way, my weight went up, and I was always tired.
Thank goodness for my husband and all of his infinite love and patience because I was not fun to be around a lot of the time. There were mornings when I was so exhausted and frustrated after another sleepless night that he would literally have to help me get dressed.
Luckily, the insomnia finally dissipated and for the last 12 months I’ve been sleeping again. I still have long, fitful nights and tired days but nothing like the constant, deep, stressful insomnia and deep fatigue that plagued me for so long.
Still, I would feel superhuman if every.single.night was a deep, peaceful, restful sleep and everyday was awake, alert, and energized.
Watch out Wonder Woman, ‘Super Sleeper’ is a force to be reckoned with!
What would your superpower be?
*This month I am participating in Wego‘s Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge. Wego Health is a social media network focused on health activism. The challenge (HAWMC) runs the month of April and the goal is to write 28-30 (you get 2 days off if you need ‘em) health-related posts. Wego sends you a list of prompts for each day and, although you are in no way required to use them, I will mostly be following the list. I chose to participate in the challenge after stumbling upon it during an unrelated search and am looking forward to this “online writing workshop”. You can participate too! If you have a venue for online writing and this challenge sounds intriguing to you then join in! Sign up to have the prompts sent to you here. Check out the HAWMC blog, Facebook page, or #HAWMC for more of the good stuff: health activism!
Wow, I never would have said sleeper if someone asked me this question, but that would be AWESOME! I tend to go through bouts of insomnia too. This one right now is annoying…I fall right asleep at bed time, but then I wake up around midnight WIDE AWAKE until about an hour before my alarm goes off. Sigh.
Ugh, I’m sorry about your sleep, being under-slept makes everything a little harder.
Oh my gosh, your post totally struck a cord. I’m a totally horrible, anxious sleeper. This just started about 3 years ago,and I can’t go through a night without waking myriad times wide awake.Then, I get anxious about lack of sleep and that keeps me up longer. What flipped for you? The only time I manage to sleep well is when I’m on a break from school – OR was magical in that way. Perhaps I should get back into hot yoga – stress relief + pure exhaustion afterwards. What’s your secret?
Oh Sarah, I wish I had a secret to share but it’s a combination of factors. Things drastically improved when we lived in Peru. Like you mentioned about being on break from school, while in Peru I let myself s l o w w a y d o w n. Over the years I’ve found that acupuncture helped me a lot, yoga helped, getting off birth control pills may have helped, neurofeedback helped, but honestly I feel like it was a crazy cycle that needed to run it’s course. That cycle of sleep anxiety is a really tough one to break, I know exactly what you are talking about. I still feel like I only get 1-2 good nights of sleep each week but it’s nothing like it was. Wishing you sweet dreams tonight!
The idea of having super sleeper powers is an awesome idea! Anxiety, depression, and a terribly small bladder keep me awake, or have me getting up at least 4 times a night. It definitely started in college and now includes me clenching my jaw most of the night; I wake up with sore teeth! Seriously, what is up with that?!
But, if I could choose any superpower, it might be fun to have a superpower that transports me anywhere in the world in seconds. Travel would be so much easier and cheaper!
I’m glad that you have been sleeping better-makes each day so much more enjoyable 🙂
Over the last several months I’ve developed that jaw clenching thing too! I’m really worried about my teeth, they aren’t sore but they might get worn down in strange places if this keeps up.
I like your superpower, dinner in Barcelona, an early morning dip in the Carribean…:)
Not sleeping is the worst for messing up any work out/ fitness routine that you are trying to get on. Sleep is so very important!
Working night shifts (7pm to 7:30am) totally messes with my sleep cycles. Trying to sleep during the day is a challenge. Some things that have helped me include: Black -out curtains, a cold eye mask followed by a sleep mask (the total darkness DOES help), a dimmer switch in the bathroom (minimal light when I wake up to pee), a sound machine with white noise (I prefer the rain noise), no electronic stimulation before bed and of course minimal caffene (I stop drinking coffee by 3:00am). Calming your mind is hard but Rescue Remedy does help. Anyone have any other suggestions on what has worked for them?