Insomnia

I have always wanted to be one of those people that can lay down and fall asleep in less than five minutes. Night after night I lie awake trying to shut off my mind. My brain is almost as talkative as I am in when I'm surrounded by friends.

People who have never suffered from insomnia always have cures, none of which actually work on insomnia. Warm milk, a dark room, a cool room, only using the bedroom for sleep. They all sound like great ideas to people who occasionally have a little trouble trying to sleep. So, they think those are actual cures for insomnia. Those are the people I kind of want to punch in the face, especially after a night where I slept less than 4 hours (and that was with the aid of an over-the-counter sleep aid). Most people really don't understand that you can be exhausted, physically and mentally, and still be unable to fall asleep.

William Shakespeare suffered from insomnia. He apparently used the time more wisely than I do. I toss and turn and try to force sleep. He wrote plays and sonnets and left behind a legacy of greatness. I'll probably leave behind a legacy of laziness and clutter and dolphin laughs.

Shakespeare is one of my favorite writers. Several of his most famous characters were insomniacs. I guess he could relate. One of my favorite quotes on insomnia is from Henry IV:

O sleep, O gentle sleep,
Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee,
That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down
And steep my sense in forgetfulness?
William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I

Tonight I might use the extra hours of awake-ness to spruce up this blog.