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Originally Blogging the Artist's Way. Thoughts, musings, experience of the 12-week course, January to March 2006. And after that?.... Life, creativity, writing. Where does it all meet? Here, perhaps.
My nights are short at this time of year. When the sun rises, I often stir and come to life. I might take myself to the bathroom, and climb the stairs again usually, to slip back in between the sheets, to turn a pillow sideways, to claim another half-hour or hour in my precious bed. Sometimes, if the morning is really fresh and bright, if there is birdsong to be heard and a silvering of dew to be seen through the kitchen window, or morning mist rising, I might turn the key in the back-door and step outside for a few moments, to breathe in some of that cool air. I might begin my day early.
And if the day has begun early, I am all the more likely to allow my night to begin earlier than normal at the other end of the day. Since I find myself watching less and less television during the past few weeks, I am less often watching a program that will run on until 11.30 or midnight, so I might begin to move towards bed any time after 10.30. There's a routine, or the elements of a routine, which can be performed in different orders. There are nights I'm ironing something to wear the next day. There are nights I know I'll need to have my files prepared and packed for the next morning's work. There are nights where neither of those tasks need to be performed, and I just have to move through the rooms locking up and switching off, then spend a few minutes at the teeth-brushing, etc, before I go upstairs to my attic room and settle in for the night. I read a little scripture, write my gratitudes, and snuggle down into my bed with a "Thank you" to God for the day just passed.
I count myself as very lucky in that I seldom have difficulty getting to sleep. There have been a few times in my life when insomnia has reared its head, but I dealt with it without battling, rather with acceptance. I was lucky in that it was during times when I didn't have work commitments during the day, and I knew I could make up for lost sleep by resting next day. I passed those nights drinking cocoa, with a notebook on my lap, watching for dawn. It's a strange feeling, sitting awake when everyone else in the world seems to be sleeping. Those were probably some of the loneliest times in my life - those nights.
I sometimes have weekend nights where I stay up really late. - Watch a late, late movie or skip from blog to blog into the small hours. This isn't the same as insomnia. I think I do that because there are times where I just really like the feeling of being exhausted going to bed. It's a throw-back from teenage years, when my rebellion was to stay up later than I should. I'm a natural night-owl, although the routine of my days has caused me to modify that nature now. Maybe it's the time of my life that makes it harder for me to sleep on in the morning.
My nights these days are peaceful; my bed comfortable. My dreams are pleasant and interesting (to me!).
I've written so much about night, peace and sleep, I'm getting tired. Think it's time for bed!
Go on over to Sunday Scribblings to see who else has written about their nights.
I wrote in February for a Sunday Scribbling prompt on Sleep: Before I sleep I suppose it is a companion-piece to this, too.
At 7/6/08 3:13 am,  me ann my camera said...
I'm sitting here smiling as I am reading along.... for I was so tired at 8:30 I decided to allow myself to go to bed at nine. But after doing this and that, and a few other odd chores, all of I sudden I realize its past midnight and I'm still up and am reading your interesting post about night time and sleeping...it was an enjoyable read, glad that I found it :-)
At 7/6/08 3:27 am,  Granny Smith said...
Sleep can be a really enjoyable activity (can one call it activity when it involves no action?), and like you I enjoy pleasant dreams almost every night. I'm a night owl, though, because there's just too much that I want to cram into each day. About once a month I get to bed before midnight. But I always enjoy it.
This was an interesting and fun read.
At 7/6/08 3:56 am,  Amber said...
I have been up too late, lately myself. I need more sleep so I am not to grumpy.
At 7/6/08 4:48 am,  Pam Mattick Art and Stuff said...
I am so enjoying your post that I was brought up short when it ended. Your writing is lovely.
At 7/6/08 5:28 am,  LadyNoor said...
As always, beautiful writing of yours...
I know what you mean by wanting to feel exhausted going to bed, I have tortured my poor body doing so in so many years. My husband is sooo annoyed by my habit saying that I should stop being a night owl :)
At 7/6/08 8:13 am,  anthonynorth said...
Interesting observations there. I have to be very tired before going to bed, otherwise I never sleep.
At 7/6/08 1:29 pm,  Tammie Lee said...
I enjoyed reading about your nights, your mornings and your love of your bed. I feel so similar to you, as you will see in my writing. Lovely that you took insomnia with acceptance, it can be so hard for many.
At 7/6/08 1:41 pm,  Jon said...
Seems to me that if I don't get a reasonable amount of sleep I'm really moody the next day. I too have suffered with bouts of insomnia, It's awful.
Enjoyed reading your post.
At 7/6/08 1:49 pm,  Pirate Princess said...
I am green with envy - to not have troubles shutting the brain off to go to sleep! What a wonderful blessing!
At 7/6/08 2:58 pm,  Anonymous said...
my nights are also wonderful lately. I usually dont sleep easily, but lately I do, too easay actually. and my sleeps are filled with nice dreams...
At 7/6/08 4:43 pm,  ell said...
Being a natural night owl, I still get the occasional bout of insomnia when I must be up early the next day. I deal with it as you did - get up and don't fight it. Somehow my body rights itself in a day or so.
At 7/6/08 9:10 pm,  Anonymous said...
All that sounds so nice, so easy for you, so peaceful, structured, under control! And so I found it interesting at the end to find you’d be a night owl but for the routine you’ve created. I’m a night owl as well, and of course have to adapt somewhat, but unlike you I fight it tooth and nail! LOL! Oh, I’ll learn one day, one way or another, I’m sure :-)
At 7/6/08 10:12 pm,  Devil Mood said...
Hello! Your comment on my blog reminded me that it seems that society doesn't benefit night-owls like us and so sadly we have to change and turn into something else.
I loved your description of nights and mornings (I love early mornings but since I go to bed so late, I rarely see them).
Good for you that you have sweet dreams - goodnight!
At 7/6/08 10:42 pm,  Laume said...
What a lovely walk through the arch of your nights. I have a complicated relationship with the night. I'm a natural night owl and years of family schedules that went in odd combinations of being awake through the dark half, I have practically turned into a creature of the night. Although on vacation or away from my ordinary routine, I'm often the first one up or at least up early. I've tried to get into a more normal routine at home but schedules always throw me back into a weird night shift and besides, I would sort of miss those dark, quiet times when the world is familiar to only a few of us odd folk.
At 8/6/08 5:15 am,  Tammy Brierly said...
I loved hearing about your grateful bedtime routine. ;)
At 8/6/08 5:19 am,  gautami tripathy said...
I enjoyed reading this. I am the classic night owl!
At 8/6/08 10:02 am,  Robin said...
The only times I ever see the dawn are when I'm still awake from the night before, but you do make it sound almost magical. Perhaps if I'd go to bed earlier once in a while I'd appreciate morning more.
At 8/6/08 11:50 am,  Anonymous said...
My nights during the summer are also much sorter! Nice post. :-)
At 8/6/08 7:55 pm,  Maria said...
A charming read, quietly engaging.
At 9/6/08 8:41 am,  Gemma Wiseman said...
I am a great one for staying up too late! I literally fight sleep when I want to write! Definitely relate to your journey!
At 9/6/08 1:58 pm,  Karen said...
I really love your blog, Imelda--you are such a good writer!
At 10/6/08 2:06 am,  danni said...
thank you so much for stopping in to read my post - it was really a wonderful wonderful dream!!! --- i've never thought to record dreams in the present tense because it's always after the fact, but i bet the memory would be sweeter to savor if it were a current event --- i so enjoyed your peaceful gentle way of describing your nocturnal routines - it was like a written lullaby -