It's about that time again. The end of the day has finally come, and you start settling down to fall into a blissful slumber. Seems like everything's going pretty well. You're in bed and the only thing standing in the way of you and your rest is you. Little do you know that your night is far from over. People struggling with insomnia have to deal with the awful reality that they're exhausted and yet, for the life of them, just can't sleep. Hours upon hours are wasted every day just lying down with their eyes closed, not really getting any sleep. It's the vicious cycle of an insomniac.
"Have you tried taking melatonin?" Nope, never heard of it. You're definitely the first person to suggest that.
"Try drinking decaf tea before bed." Wow, how revolutionary. Tea. Genius.
"Why don't you just try to relax?" Relax? You mean lie in bed in the dark and close my eyes? I'm pretty sure that's as relaxing as it gets, and I've been doing it for a while. Thanks for your useless input, though.
You've probably heard it all before. People who have no idea how frustrating it is making suggestions that you thought of years ago. Truly the second most annoying thing on earth, right after being exhausted and not being able fall asleep.
Sure, you can do all the research you want. There are different vitamins and medications to supposedly help you to fall asleep. There are certain scented candles that magically make you more tired, and socks so soft that you automatically pass out after putting them on. Personally, I don't buy it, but you do you. If any of them actually help, let me know.
As for now, all we can try to do is keep our eyes open as our souls slowly die. A person can only go so long without any sleep. (I think the longest I've gone is four straight nights.) Eventually, your tolerance for rest gets so low that any nap, no matter how long or short, rejuvenates and awakes you. And then you have energy for a few hours before it all starts to hit you again.
The best advice I could offer would be to always have something caffeinated ready for consumption, to try your hardest to designate enough time for a good sleep, and to fake a smile so people stop pointing out the fact that you look tired and awful.
