Trouble Falling Asleep

Over the last few months, my sleep pattern has changed.  I usually go to sleep between  11:30 PM and 12:30 AM, and get enough sleep.  I still can do that, but lately, if I am involved in an after work activity, even one that ends by 8:30 PM, I am still wired at 12:30 AM and sometimes until 2:30 or 3:30 AM, so that I am not able to go to sleep. 

Sometimes, reading a particularly stimulating book also keeps me awake until early in the morning. In the past, staying up late to read did not bother me much, but more, and more, it affects me the next day. 

I do not like this.  If I do not have to get up the next day, this does not worry me, but more often than not, I do have to awaken early the next day.

But the real problem is that some nights, nothing has stimulated me to stay awake: I am not reading a particularly exciting book, my eyes are tired, and I still am not able to fall asleep. 

This really concerns me; irregular sleep can set me off, make me irritable, sometimes hysterical, and always difficult.

I think this is due to severe stress at work, and I am doing the best I can to alleviate that; I try to adjust my expectations of performance at work to what is practical; I try not to let deadlines bother me, and I am taking as much annual leave as I am allowed. 

But, I am truly concerned about my self-care and coping skills regarding work. 

A Busy Week

It was a busy week at work this week. To make it more interesting this week, I had a busy week in the evenings.  It started Monday night with a board meeting at Catholic Charities, then going home to watch the rest of the Yankee - Astro game MLB.  

Tuesday and Wednesday night, once again there Yankee - Astro games. The Yankees won all three games, making the American League Championship Series 3 to 2, Yankees leading.  The problem is that kind of exciting TV wakes me up and I take all that much longer to wind down to go to sleep.

I am again watching the Yankee - Astro game, but at least Saturday I can sleep in. And I have had trouble getting up this week, due to the trouble I have had falling asleep.

Sleeping Wrong

I must have slept wrong in the bed last night.  I awoke to feeling aching, stiff and sore. And, then I feel chilly.  The feeling did not improve as the day went on.  I went out to lunch, and that was a mistake. I felt stuffed and bloated and miserable in the restaurant, and could not get comfortable.

I lay down for a while after lunch, and got out the cushion for the outside lounge chair and laid outside and read for a while.

It is only 7:45 PM and I am very, very tired.

Mmmm.  I think this is just a reaction to having been away, under the stress of traveling, especially with the bad weather, and now that I am home and can relax, my body is telling me to take a break.

Well, dummy me ran some errands this morning, and went out to eat.  But now it is evening, and I will try to rest a little.

I still have some errands to run tomorrow.  And I want to get some housework done this weekend.