in the middle of the morning... as Meat Loaf has it in that wonderful rockin' song. Well, that's me.
When I was a child, I could never wake up and get to school on time. If I was forcibly extracted from bed and driven to school, I couldn't function. On the other hand, I laid awake for hours every night.
"Insomnia," said the doctor. He suggested warm milk. And soothing music. And a teddy bear. Finally, he suggested Valium. (Yes, I know... but this was the 1960s.)
The Valium worked a treat. I went to sleep at a godly hour and slept through... until about eleven the next morning. Thus one part of the problem was solved, but not the other. I know what you're thinking. You got addicted to Valium and are still a user. Well, no. I slowly stopped taking it as I got older and never had any problem with withdrawal other than a recurrence of my "insomnia".
Time drew on, and so did I. As an adult, I chanced upon a description of body clocks. At last I had it! I do not and have never had, insomnia. There is nothing wrong with my sleeping habits a'tall. I am not lazy, or idle, or slothful. I simply have a body clock that is skewed about 25 degrees in the clockwise direction.
These days, I can force it round backwards by progressively going to bed a few minutes earlier. I do that if I have a week of school workshops to do or a plane to catch. Otherwise, I let it be. Thus I wake at about ten thirty in the morning. (Up from the ground in the middle of the morning! I potter about, run or walk over to get the mail, sort out e-mail, have lunch, then start work. I write, in between going for a walk, cooking meals, and seeing to the dogs and my elderly parents, until 2 a.m., then, still sprightly, I potter off to bed. It works for me.
But if I wasn't a self-employed writer, the lord alone knows how I'd survive in a 9 to 5 world!
Thanks, Ginger, for inviting me to "guest blog". It's the first time I ever did it, and I'm mildly surprised I didn't take the opportunity to plug my latest book. Maybe it's too early in the morning!
Due to time differences, my Thursday's Tourist showed up here on Tuesday. *lol* Sally, please feel free to blog again on Thursday, and tell us about your work. I'd love to hear.
ReplyDeleteginger
Eeek, sorry. Please delete me...
ReplyDeleteHi, Sally,
ReplyDeleteMy husband is like you - definitely a night person. It can cause some problems, since I've always been a morning person. But we've worked it out!
Glad you found work that lets you live according to your own clock.
Warmly,
Lisabet
Hi Sally, you have told me why my sleeping habits are so strange lately! I'm out of time with my body clock! That's good to know! Well, in one way. My dh has a body clock that seems skewed th eother way....problems!
ReplyDeleteJen
Hi. I would tell you how I came to find your blog, but I can't remember. (That's a problem with being past fifty, I guess.) All I know is someone else linked to here.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the clock thing. That used to be my time, too. Now I try to get to bed before nine and get up before four. Doesn't always work.
Good job for your first post. Glad you finally figured out how to make the sleep cycle work for you. And lucky you are self-employed! Guess we can look for your work tomorrow!? :)
ReplyDelete