Having struggled with a good night sleep for thirty years, I have learned some secrets that allow me to get the best sleep as I can during the night. Learning to distract myself from the pain, I have developed a routine that gives me the rest I need to function the next day. On most days the rest I get at night is enough to sustain me for next day.
For many years my lack of sleep was brought on by sleep apnea due to narcotics that I was on at the time. Now off those medication, my pain continues to wake me up resulting in a series of short naps during the night. Only after passing out, allowing my nerves and pain to reset I can then finally get some rest. On nights that I don’t pass out I’m up all night suffering from extreme pain until sometime the next day when the pain finally resets. After my pain resets, the new pain level restricts me from getting into a deep sleep. Not getting into a deep sleep and relying on just small naps during the night does take its toll on my depression and ability to deal with the pain the next day.
As night settles on our house, it becomes a lonely time and place for me. My wife and our dogs sleep in another bedroom and being left alone with severe pain, lack of good quality sleep and bouts of depression leads to loneliness. I can’t make this point any clearer, it’s pure hell on earth! The feeling of no loved ones or friends around to talk with at the time of my most severe pain of the day, it’s the purist definition of loneliness. This is when I rely on my faith to see me through.
Distractions help me not to focus on just how utterly miserable I am at that time. Learning to distract myself from the pain and insomnia has helped greatly in surviving these nights, which tend to be every night for me. Like many people I tend to sleep with the television on to distract myself from the constant pain. I have at times, listened to scripture or a spiritual talk on YouTube. Other nights I rely on Netflix or simply keep the news on during the night. Sleeping with the television on is not ideal and should be avoided when possible, but I have found it helps to distract from the pain. The secret is picking the right content to listen to as a distraction. That being said, anything that helps you keep your eyes, mind and heart on my savior is so helpful in surviving these nights.
This is the critical, all-important time of the day to lean on Christ and your faith. I often distract myself from the pain and loneliness by reviewing memorized scripture in my head. With all that I’m going through at that time, unbelievable amount of pain, sleeplessness and loneliness, relying on something to help distract my mind from the pain is the key for surviving and coming out the other side in the morning with my sanity.