A bad night last night. We had a reasonably early night, got into bed, watched a bit of TV, read for a while and then put out the lights. At 2am I sat up, stretched and assumed I had had a good night’s sleep. It was when I stood up and saw the time that I suddenly felt tired. I wandered into the lounge and looked through the blinds, amazed to see that I was not the only one awake in the building. Of course it could be that some of the Golden Agers were still partying, playing poker of having fun, but more likely they are insomniacs, I thought. I wondered if I could get a few of the boys together and get a game of early morning cards going.
What is it with us and sleep? Why, after years and years of perfect sleeping are we now confronted by sleepless nights? According to numerous articles on the internet, the sleep problem is common among older people for a variety of reasons, none of which apply to me. In front of the TV on the couch I am a master of sleep. I can drop off in seconds, without any pills or other assistance. Bed is another story.
So, it’s 2am and I’m wide awake. What does one do? One friend tells me he goes and sits in front of the computer. I reckon that will wake up any part of him that did manage to doze off. Sam says he switches on the TV. Another mistake. Have you seen some of the stuff they show at 3am? It’s designed to help the night shift workers stay awake – all blood, bullets and sex. I read, hoping that I will hit a boring patch in the book that will send me off.
