Sleep and I don't always get along; we cross paths daily however it's not always a meeting of two long lost friends, a warm embrace and a comfortable catch-up. Sure, sometimes it feels like that, long hours of getting closely acquainted, but often it's a tumultuous, titanic struggle that I mostly lose. I manage somehow though, to function after broken or lack of sleep I mean, and there's moments when I'm able to catch up now and then as well; not necessarily on the lost hours, but on the quality of the sleep. It's not an ideal relationship but it's what I have so I work with it.
My inability to find the beautiful solace and respite that is sleep is due to many reasons I'll not go into here, although there's one reason I'm most happy to accept and share here.
I finished work today and went home to finalise packing for a flight I'm taking tomorrow - the first since the pandemic shenanigans - to spend a couple weeks on vacation in the tropical north of Australia. I'm pretty excited. It's an early flight so I decided to stay at the airport hotel overnight which would mean I'd not have to wake up so early for the flight although, as it is, I'll be up at 04:30. But here's the thing, I'll probably not sleep much anyway!
I always have trouble sleeping the night before an adventure. Fear of sleeping through my alarm? Excitement about the trip? Hmm, maybe a little of both. Maybe tonight I'll be able to add, shitty hotel bed to the list, although this one feels pretty good so I doubt I will be able to lay the blame there. I'll do my best though...to sleep, not lay blame.
I've got a full day of flights tomorrow, two in total with a five hour stopover in Melbourne between them. It's not going to be pleasant but maybe I'll get a little sleep on the stopover and some more in the three hour flight north...We'll see. I'll probably arrive at my destination feeling worse for wear through lack of sleep but hey, I'd rather feel like that for a day whilst on holiday than feel like that at work after a sleep night. I'm trying to see the positives here folks.
How about you? What are you like before a trip. Do you sleep and if so do you do anything in particular to make it happen? Or are you like me, one who finds sleep before an adventure difficult to come by. Drop me a line in the comments if you'd like.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Any image(s) in this post are my own
If that ain't me hahaha, I never get any proper sleep before such adventurous days.
I guess it's just the excitement, I really don't see any other reason.
Yep, the excitement factor can be the cause. I've travelled a lot and still get excited every time. I blame excitement.
Excitement it is then. I guess I need to calm down a bit before these trips, if I wanna get some proper sleep that is haha.
I can never sleep right before an adventure! Excitement, fear of sleeping through the alarm, and my mind running through all the things I needed to do before stepping out.
Once I have closed the door to start the trip, that all goes away. I never look back. It will all be there soon enough upon my return.
Have a wonderfully peaceful time!! You deserve it!
Yep, same reasons I guess. That's why I'm answering this reply at 03:30 when my alarm is set for 04:30. 😐
Nooo! So bad... hopefully it will be put to rest while you are away. I truly cannot understand somebody that is as active as you are can not get a good night's sleep. I know it's just because your brain doesn't shut down - it's in Sniper mode all the time.
Lol.
Sniper mode. Donut mode. Coffee mode. Boobs mode. Hmm, all the same made. 🤪
No way~!! Donut mode pairs up with coffee. I thought you knew everything? :)
I know almost everything. But yeah, that was just a test to see if you knew!
:) I hope I passed.
My worst fear is to sleep in. If I have an important early get-up then my sleep will tend to be be restless & broken.
I've had such deep sleeps that, regardless of the number of alarms, I wake at 10.30am (normally twice a year).
Getting to sleep was a real issue in my younger years.
Now, it varies. Lately, it's been easy. The less I think about it, the easier it has gotten. 🤣
Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn't sleep too badly actually, but at 03:30 I woke up. My alarm was set for 04:30. 😐😳
Who in all honesty does not fear .... something? But sleep? Ah losing sleep is something I do not understand. I have always been blessed with sweet dreams despite often stressful reasons NOT too. It always saddens me when I hear others battle. A good night's rest is so important to kick start the day. But I hope your trip is beyond your hopes and fears. May this holiday find you and sleep in a close embrace
I envy people that can sleep soundly. I used to be able to but things happen and things change I guess. I sleep well sometimes, enough to function and close to peak mostly.
I'm looking forward to the trip. I'm at the boarding gate now and pretty content. 😊
How exciting! Have a wonderfully lekker ;) break!
It has been years since I boarded a plane but there was a time I did so frequently. And that is when I never slept.
Lekker time engaged. 😁
When done with the travel breath deeply.!!
Masking for long periods drops your O2 levels and spikes the CO2. Hard on old fellas like us. Not to mention the mask is a bacteria buffet peetri dish after 20 minutes and raises the bacterial flu infection chances greatly.
USA (formerly The "UNITED" states) just dropped the mask travel dictatorship mandates. Long Supreme court battle we just won against our governments big pharm tyranny.
No end in sight for yours tho is there..? You most be Clot Shotted to travel? Best wishes on that bro...
The safe and effective VAX has cost us friends and family. Kels Gram. 90 plus with many co-morbs. So that MRNA took her quickly. Her best friends husband Larry (RIP) just died this week a week before his 55th. He had ACL and that Prion Layden immune system killer shot took him out in 1/10 of the time that disease would have. We are talking months, not years. My Step Mom fought bravely for over a week. But once the
kill shelterhospital got hold of her. Pumped her full of Rendeza (53% Renal fail rate) So they got the $50K+ bonus from big pharm for intabation (basically killing her) But hey, she had some severe co-morbs too... I just wish people would wake up. Cause the Big Pharm and the puppets they have payed for (politicians) They got nothing but money and power in mind.Ahh shit, sorry to rant. Like a fart sometimes it is hard to hold in.
If this rant is a bad thing then just let me know. I will replace it with puppies and kittens... Lmao
Many people are like this picture and I do not want anyone mad at us.
I ended up just putting a plastic bag over my whole head and using a cable tie to keep it on. Worked a treat.
Nahhh. Epic Fail...
You are still typing/commenting on here.
Damn cheap plastic bags anyways. Must a been a pin hole somewhere..?
Lol, maybe it was a gimp mask. I get the two confused sometimes.
Hopefully the sleeping and the flights have gone well man! It’s going to be nice to be in the tropics with family and your nephew in particular so that’s awesome.
Sleep has been a little tricky of late but one technique that I recently learned that’s helped me for sure, though I don’t know if it’s just me telling myself it helps, is doing some slow breathing. I was reading online somewhere that controlled breathing helps so I gave it a try. I breathe inward for 5 seconds, hold it for 5, breathe out for 5 seconds and hold it for 5. Breathing is only through your nose so it’s more controlled but I repeat this process sometimes 5 times, sometimes 10-15 times but it’s helped. I guess it slows our heart rate down and helps cool our bodies or something. On the nights I’ve had trouble sleeping like last night, I did that and fell asleep kind-of soon after, maybe 5-10 minutes. Was it the breathing that helped? Can’t tell but I slept so that’s a win!
A lot of times I don’t sleep well before trips or good adventures. Excitement, fear of missing the alarm and all that. Doesn’t make for a fun night of tossing and turning but thankfully adrenaline keeps us going the following day even though we have minimal sleep! One of the toughest ones is to have to wake up super early. We had a 7 am flight as well recently and was up at 415 with the little man. Was not a fun day lol he thankfully slept though so that was a win!
I've heard about the slow/deep breathing thing and tried it a few times. Had mixed success.
I'm here now, after a 3:30 wake-up and travelling all day. Been nice to see my family but it's 23:00H and I'm tired as hell. Time for bed. Tomorrow the vacation will start in full. 😁
I'll usually wake up obnoxiously early if there's a thing I have to get to in the morning (even if it's late morning when I'm almost definitely up and ready anyway -_-). And then when it's a thing where I know I have to wake up stupid early (be at the airport by 6, would like to be on the road on the road trip by 6, whatever) I usually don't sleep properly (at worst I just watch J sleep, at best I'm dozing and very aware of this, good thing I never drive on the road trips).
I've always had trouble sleeping, apparently it's a normal adhd thing (yay). Could be going somewhere the next day or could be just a normal life day. Should probably be taking melatonin but I don't because I'm unreasonably stubborn.
How was the many flights and stopovers? :)
Yep, sounds like me. I was up at 03:30, my alarm was set for 04:30. 😳
Still at Melbourne airport, 5 hour stop over but boarding in about 30 minutes. I've been reading my book and watching all the nutbags, I mean people, going about their stuff. I'll be on my way soon, three hours in-flight, through which I will sleep.
Was the bed okay in the end? Hope you have a surprisingly good sleep on the plane XD
A bit too soft for my liking, but I managed a few hours sleep. 😐
This is so true to me as well! I guess I am partially excited, and partially afraid that once I fall asleep, I might wake up late and miss my flight.
Enjoy your adventure!
Yep, the same as me. I think the missing the flight thing forces the lack of sleep the most huh?
Yeah, and I would end up sleeping on the flight instead! Hehe!
😁