Sleep Deprived

I am sleep deprived. It's true.

You know those Nyquil commericials...Sleep like you did before...your motherinlaw moved in...Sleep like you did before...the rooster went blind...Sleep like you did before...you had kids, etc?

How about Sleep like you did before menopause?

I mean it ... really. I do.

No, I don't take Nyquil for sleeping thru menopause (oops, I mean during). But, it is tempting.

This is a regular night for me: When I finally relax on the couch, I can become sleepy. But, upon going to bed...I lay down, ready to sleep. (This is after I have taken "Requip", which is a prescription to help with restless leg syndrome.) Well, anyway..I lay down in the cool sheets, and think yea, this is great. Then, as I start to relax, I twitch. And twitch. And, then I feel like something is crawling on my skin. First here. Then there. Then everywhere. Augh. I try to force myself to relax, because I have taken the medicine and I have taken my hormones, and I have exercised, and not had any nighttime caffeine. So, I force myself (or try to ) to relax. Stretch my legs.

Then, my hair bothers me, so I get it off my skin. I turn over from my right side (because my hip bones have been bothering me) to my back. Oops, can't sleep on my back. Turn to the other side. Pull covers over me. Stretch my legs. My pajamas are all twisted. Augh. Try to untwist. Keep moving until untwisted. Now the legs are not right, pull down the legs.

Try to relax.

Then, it's HOT. I'm burning up. It's hot. So, frantically kick my legs outside of the sheets and covers. Oh, I'm still hot. So, I uncover. Ok, relax. Oops, now I'm getting cold.

Cover back up. Oh, my pillow is so hot. Turn my pillow over. Fix my hair up off my skin again. Stretch my legs. Fix pajamas.

Try to relax.

Twitch twitch, turn turn. Hot, cold, hot cold. Fix pajamas. Kick out leg, cover back up, vix pajamas, move hair, turn pillow.

My poor husband is asleep thru it all. Did I say poor husband? I mean dirty dog husband who gets to sleep while I am miserable. I used to get up and go watch tv all hours, but I have been really trying the "mind over matter" and thinking I can go to sleep. I think I can, I think I can. I CAN'T ... I JUST CAN'T!!!

Try to relax.

Oops, anyway...this continues on. Finally, after a long, long time. I fall asleep.

Just then the dogs decide they need to go outside to potty. Sleeping dirty dog husband is oblivious.

I wake from my three minutes of sleep and lets the dogs out. Cold air feels good, but awakens me.

All in. Back to bed. Start over.

I'm sleep deprived.

And people wonder if the hormones help irritability? What is that line from Steel Magnolias? I'm not crabby .. I have just been in a bad mood for twenty years?