Insomniac
Memories of My College Years…
Four hours is a good nights rest, she tried to tell him. They told her she was an insomniac… or maybe she told her that. But she knew she wasn’t really. She could sleep; she just wasn’t good at it. Sleeping was some kind of secret art that people withheld teaching her. Any good sleep she got happened in the late afternoon or early evening hours. Not in the night, when her beloved moon she never saw was awake, not then. Sleep could not or would not come to her then, at least not until 3:00 or 4:00, well 4:00, sometimes 5:00 in the morning.
She liked his tie. It was checkered… shiny… mesmerizing – “What?” she was in class. Oh yeah, class. But she knew that, she had been there all along, and before that in the library, and before that in her room, and before that lunch where she had told them, “Four hours is a good nights rest.” More than she’d had all week. Three hours at a time was usually an accomplishment and that usually only happened after she worked out. She’d work out, and then pass out. If she didn’t run three miles a day, she’d never sleep.
… I don’t miss it.
Anakalian Whims 
Andrew said,
February 14, 2010 at 7:51 pm
I like the partial run-on phrasing– bit day-dreamy or distracted which is a nice touch considering the topic.
My problem in school was too much sleep. Even in the classes that I found interesting, like my major, I would find myself drifting off. Only recently did I ‘discover’ that my quality of sleep is low due to apnea, which means I can drift any time, but only get poor quality rest, (ad cyclum infinitum…).
My sweet beau Shannon is having sleep problems. Worry and troubles right now. She’s my little stress-monkey.
There are parts of college I do miss. But I was a bit of a lost-boy at that point…
anakalianwhims said,
February 14, 2010 at 8:19 pm
This was actually an entry from one of my college journals. I had a tendency to write in third person then. I worked three jobs and went to school full time so it pretty much all felt like an out of body experience. I remember somewhat hallucinating in the library – the bookshelves were floating – because I was so tired. I was studying for a test and fell asleep on the couch there with my head in my books; only to be woken up ten minutes later because I had to go to class. My dream is to go back to school and get a second bachelors as well as a masters – but this time do it debt free, in cash, and not have to work while I do it. (Well, there’d be a little bit of work because my husband and I plan to open our own business. But he could be there to run it and I would check in from time to time… that’s the dream.)
Tell Shannon to drink chamomile tea before bed and spritz some lavender oil in the sheets and pillows. You can get both at herbal tea markets and I believe Whole Foods. I get mine at a little hole in the wall joint called “Grace’s Market.” Also, the super nice HEB’s that carry all the organic products will probably have some. A hot bath with her favorite scent of essential oils (don’t bother with bubbles and stuff – that just leaves a film on the skin) before pjs and chamomile will also help as to relax her before bed. But for sure, that lavender on your pillow will put you out so fast its ridiculous! (Then again, I am very sensitive to aroma therapies, heightened sense of smell and my blood type being AB+…. isn’t that crazy that certain blood types are more affected by herbal remedies than others?)
lollygabber said,
February 17, 2010 at 6:57 am
I don’t miss it either! Oh…wait…I’m in law school…did I really sign up for this?!?!
Andrew said,
February 17, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Shannon does love peppermint tea. That’s been her trick for a while now.
We did try lavender before. Maybe it’s time to check it out again. Thanks for the idea! It’s really just ‘figuring-out-life’ stress as much as anything, which comes and goes…
Our little hole in the wall joint is called Natural Sequence. I particularly like it because it also sells brew-yer-own kits. 🙂
Good luck lolly with law school. Much braver soul than me…