Dear Terrible Sleepers, I stumbled upon a simple fix to your dilemma: cover the clock.
There is something to be said, for covering your bedroom clock. Terrible sleepers tend to keep looking at it as the hours of no sleep tick by.
This causes more stress about your “wide-awake but should be sleeping” hours. Eyes stay open. Another hour ticks by, raising the tension. Like a mental “bed-head,” everything’s a mess.
Many of us Leftat50’s have already tried the most suggested remedies. Take a shower. Don’t eat close to bedtime. Turn off all electronic devices. Buy sheets you love or a new pillow. Get up and go to another room to distract yourself.
What to do when none of these get your brain to enter sleep-mode? My discovery is very new. Actually only two nights new. But since I’ve slept decently the past few nights, I better pass it along right now.
Sleepyheads rejoice. Cover the clock.
It just so happens, my bedroom cable box has a clock on it. The time blares in big white numbers, raising my fret level with every glance. Two nights ago I put a large knick-knack right in front of it. No more white light, no more knowing the time!
If this is an issue for you. If you are refusing to turn off your cellphone or have some other light source give it a try. Total darkness.
It is very freeing not knowing the exact time all the time. As we age, time seems to become a larger and larger factor. We can use this as a great motivator, but it can also be a chronic source of stress.
So cover the clock tonight. It’s Friday. Hopefully it’s a luxury you can afford. See what happens and let us know. We cannot keep worrying about things we can’t control. Like time. Tuning out for 8 hours or so is a goal to keep striving for.
We all go through major life transitions when relationships end. Through this website, I will share my thoughts as I walk the path of “New-Self” discovery. It doesn’t matter which side of 50 you are on. The real question is, Are you ready to live life? To forge a Path of Your Own Making (For a change!)? Then stop dwelling over the What-Might-Have-Beens and join me. Share your thoughts here, comment on mine, and let’s do this together!