Off Switch

August 22, 2013

Off Switch

I’ve noticed that those who are completely physically exhausted or below average intelligence can fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow.  They don’t have the energy or gumption to think too much about sleep. I really think I’m one of those (I’ll let you decide which one), but apparently I’m not.  I’m one of those who lies there for awhile going over today, thinking about tomorrow, thinking about the past, and optimally needing quiet in order to catch those elusive Zzzs.  When I wake in the middle of the night, sometimes I’m stuck awake.  This is how the other night went, and this is typical.

Asleep around 1130. Awakened by full bladder at 0345.

I don’t want to get up, but I can’t ignore it.  Better go now.  I don’t wanna move.  Get up, fatty, and go pee and check on the boys.

I use the restroom and then check on the boys.  Sugars are good.  I crawl back in bed hoping to find sweet slumber right away.  Not so much.  Someone switched the brain ON.

Oh, great blog idea.  Newbie vs. veteran.  Oh, I could say this.  Oh, I could say that.  I’m afraid to fall asleep and forget these genius ideas.  Let me keep repeating them to commit them to memory.  Wait, that’s really clever!  Say that!

What’s that noise that I can hear through my ear plugs?  Oh, just Jerry mildly snoring again.  I’ll jerk the pillow to readjust his head and airway.   Jerk.  Resumption of quiet.

STOP THINKING!  Time to count sheep.  1, 2, 3….10, 11…Wait, why is that sheep pink?

I wonder if their sugars will be ok until breakfast.  Maybe I should set the alarm to check them again.

I need to stop by the store today.  I’m running low on my sodas. Speaking of, maybe I should go to Wal-Mart and get a new plastic storage drawer for the Diabetes stuff.  That other one is broken.  Wait, maybe I should just rearrange it all, conserve some space.  Yeah, that’s a good idea.  I’ll do that. 

Crap, he’s snoring again.  Head readjusted.

Now, my mind HAS to shut up so I can fall back asleep.  The alarm is going off in 2 hours. 

Count backwards from 100 so you’re mind has only one thing to focus on.  100, 99, 98….67, 66.  OH, I wonder if Richie Sambora will be back with Bon Jovi in the fall.  I wonder if he’s tweeted about it.  I really wish they’d resolve their issues because I miss Richie.  CRAP…I was counting!  Where did I leave off.  Of course….70, 69, 68….3, 2, 1.  Well, that didn’t work.

I wonder what will happen on the next Breaking Bad.  I can’t wait.  Tread Lightly….

The closer it gets to alarm time, the harder it is to fall asleep. 

GO TO SLEEP!  Try the sheep again.  1, 2, 3…..18, 19,20…wait, WHY are the sheep jumping the fence when there’s a gate right there?  That’s just dumb.

What else can I do to raise funds for our team?  Am I bothering people with my ideas?  Oh, I can do this.  I need to buy this for the party. Oh, that would be cool, too!

Snoring again?  I wonder if he’d notice if I put my fingers in his nostrils.  Must be nice to be asleep.

What should I do to entertain the boys today?  Museum?  Park?  What do I need to pack for that?  I really should clean out their closets, but I think we’ll hit the park for a little bit. Hey, remember that time I spun the kids so fast on the merry-go-round that I made that kid puke?!  That was sad but funny, too!

Maybe I can squeeze a nap in, because if I don’t, I’ll be worthless to my husband and family by 7pm.

Hmm..it’s been almost 2 hours.  I wonder what their sugars are now.  Speaking of, I need to remember to tell the school nurse This….I really hope she’ll listen to me about pre-dosing their insulin before lunch.  I hope I don’t have to spend all week up there coaching her just to keep my boys alive!  I need her to do it right because once school starts, that’s 1/3 of their day, which is 1/3 of their A1C…and if the A1C is squirrely..they look at ME!  I freakin’ hate group work!

STOP IT.  Count again.

I start drifting off.  We are 1hr and 15 mins before the alarm goes off. 

Snap awake.  Holy, cow!  I was drifting off.  Cool.  Let’s try again.

This repeats twice more before I fall completely asleep.

The alarm rudely goes off one hour later. 

I don’t want to get up.  I need to pee.  What are their sugars?  Are they ok?

I get up, blood-shot eyes, and face the day.  I decide over the course of the day that perhaps I should place a notepad by the bed.  Then, when I wake up with a rare stroke of genius, I can jot down the ideas, and hopefully, relax my mind. 

Or, maybe when a cure for diabetes is found, my brain will develop an OFF switch!

Rhonda