Sleepless with My Cellphone
August 01, 2017
I might not have a man in bed with me, but, boy, is my bed ever crowded. Nightly, I get into bed, ready to read literature—right after I catch-up on my phone-reading of the newest sputtering from / or mockery of t- and his horrific administration, and the r’s and their persistent betrayal of the basic norms of decency that I might have missed in the previous update, an hour ago. I exhaust myself with 30 minutes, okay, an hour, of being a witness to the unrelenting ignominies. Then, determined to maintain my commitment to reading about something other than the destruction of American Democracy and people’s persistence to not be thwarted by their elected officials, I charge my phone and finally open my book. But within minutes I start nodding off.
Why is outrage “easier” to read than a novel?
Perhaps it’s the immediacy: the shock that dystopian fiction is coming to life, the fear of where it will lead, and the need to be alert to the latest treachery and its real-life implications. To be a witness. To be prepared to resist.
A few hours after I fall asleep, I wake. The requisite trip to the bathroom is not enough to ease me back to sleep. I try looking at the trees outside my window. I try emptying my mind. I try closing my eyes and unclenching my jaw. But thoughts settle in for the night unbidden. I don’t want to relive my day or the outrages that seep in. I want to go back to the oblivion of sleep. Once up, though, it won’t happen. Surely, I am a lousy meditator since I barely give myself five minutes to attempt to ease into my breath and the now. I have hours to go before I re-sleep.
Staying like that, thinking about the thoughts and conversations of my day, inevitably leads to some level of disappointment. It’s like watching repeats of programs that weren’t very interesting the first time around. And if I add to that thinking about our reality, my jaw re-fuses.
Stupidly, I take to my phone. A form of self-flagellation. There’s nothing new, for the writers and analysts are asleep, attempting their severance before starting all over again in the morning. Still, I seek out commentary I may have missed. By now, my mind is both numb and abuzz, and my frustration with myself and the world cannot be soothed simply by putting the phone down. So I turn on the radio which plays BBC after midnight. I go in and out of sleep for hours, getting updated on what’s happening around the world, hearing in-depth analyses of all sorts of problems I didn’t know existed. There is pain all around. Hearing artists and writers speak for a few moments of calm. Finally shutting it off when soccer scores come on. Will a new pillow help?
I wake when the grey sky outside my west facing window signals that morning has finally come. I take a few minutes to be in the moment, often succeeding in resisting the phone. Daybreak, savoring the moment: the calls of the birds, the sky in its grayish blue hue, the brightening leaves on the trees, the sensation of air on my body.
And then it is time to get up and face what I may have missed in the past hour or so.
I really try to tune out of the news at least an hour before bed (if I could turn off notifications for breaking news after 8 pm, I would). I think the book is putting you to sleep because it's allowing you to calm down and rest easier. You might want to read the book earlier in the night and turn your bedroom into a no-spin zone!
Posted by: April | August 01, 2017 at 11:43 AM
April, all good advice that I will try. I need to expand my "no food between 8pm and 7am" rule, to include news.
I hope all is well with you and your daughters!
Laura
Posted by: Laura of Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman | August 01, 2017 at 02:48 PM
Laura, insomnia seems to be a common affliction that comes from having a toddler president who lacks impulse control. Try guided meditation designed for sleep, if you haven't already.
Posted by: Margaret Lesh | August 11, 2017 at 03:01 PM
I've had this insomnia for a long time,, but it's worse now. I need to construct a news-free zone around sleep time, and during sleep time, but I have a hard time doing that. Sometimes I turn on talk radio because I want to hear voices. I need to switch to podcasts and not news.
Posted by: Laura of Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman | August 12, 2017 at 05:57 AM