Zzzzzzz

Ya know what I hate? Not being able to get to sleep. I mean, I'm a fairly routine person. I find a schedule and it usually isn't long before I don't need an alarm clock to get me going in the morning. BUT, this night time-getting to sleep stuff drives me NUTS!! I've had trouble getting to sleep for as long as I can remember. I remember as a kid lying in bed, staring at my night light until I fell asleep. I also remember resting my head on the window sill above my bed, staring out the window watch Todd Swonk (isn't it funny how we remember names) mess around on his motorcycles .... likely why I have one today... until I fell into my nightly slumber. Then shortly after college, the stresses of not having a solid job and lacking firm direction, kept my thoughts spinning at night and my eyes wide. I remember often watching the clock tick away hour by hour until it was time to get up and start the day. Nothing worse that having to go to work (back then it was mowing college lawns) on 45 - 60 minutes sleep. And here it is years later, past my bedtime and I lie awake. Well, thank goodness for laptops and blogs to occupy my mind as I attempt to tire myself out.

I know, I know... they make medicines for this, you say. Of course, and I have it. The best of the best, in my opinion. But do you have any idea how expensive that stuff is? Not to mention addictive? And so I use it sparingly. Sure, I've tried counting sheep --- I'm not a fan of that game. And of course, there is always the "count your blessings" till you fall asleep game. I'm a fan of that, but honestly my mind gets so carried away I can't often stay on task. In many ways I think night-time is the time my mind gets busy trying to catch up to everything my body did and didn't do during the day.

My dad struggles with the same thing... I always tell him to make a list of the things he's thinking about. Sort of an "emptying of the mind" if you will. It often works for me... but not lately. Lately it's a deep penetrating ache in my muscles. Not a cramp so much as a tightness or stiffness that doesn't go away. It's a constant ache and it is really starting to get annoying. Sure, I read the internet, I talk to MD's but do I really want to take more medicines for something like this? No. And so I ask.... does anyone out there have any "secrets to sleep" methods?

I currently do the following:

Lie down consistently between 10:30 and 11:15pm each night.
Shower or bathe each night right before bed to relax my muscles and stay in routine.
Sometimes, take Ambien or Melatonin (though not enough to get addicted).
Pray.
Stretch.

And so again I ask.... can anyone out there give me some helpful hints on things you do to be able to get a good nights sleep?