Earlier this week I was getting my biannual pre-holiday pedicure, and I happened to notice an article on sleep in a magazine I was flicking through. (I can't remember the name of the magazine, but it had something to do with "wellness" issues. It was definitely American :)
Of course, the article emphasized the importance of sleep . . . and how many of us are just not getting enough of the Z's. That, I already knew. Sigmund and I are permanently sleep-deprived, and I know we are not the only ones. Just recently, both Barrie and Alyson have blogged about the dreaded insomnia -- and how it is sapping their energy at the moment. I can name three close friends who have spoken to me about the subject, just this week alone. My mother is a more or less permanent insomniac.
What I didn't know is that there is a new term for the anxious brain that never sleeps. Apparently, if your brain is keeping you awake with its restless activity it's not just maddening, it's a syndrome with a cute name: cognitive popcorn.
Last night was a late one -- as we were celebrating the 50th birthday of one of our dearest friends. As I made the morning coffee, an overnight houseguest and I commiserated about how many times we wake during the typical night. He is suffering from stress and a full-blown midlife crisis. I'm not sure what my problem is.
What I want to know is this: IS ANYONE OUT THERE GETTING A DECENT NIGHT'S SLEEP?
Tomorrow I will be waking up at 6 am to drive to Gatwick Airport to fly to New Hampshire. Even though I am exhausted, I know that I will lie awake tonight, fretting about all of the things done and undone. I know that I will check the clock numerous times, so worried about oversleeping that I will never properly sleep. Because I am excited and anxious both, I know that my brain will be playing the cognitive popcorn game. I love popcorn, but not in my head!
