There appear to be three types of insomnia:  transient (occasional); acute (short duration); and chronic (long duration).  All result in sleep deprivation which can (after longer duration) have serious health consequences.   I fall asleep easily – and quickly – but there are times when I will wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.  thinking about this or that.  I’m familiar with the usual RX’s for getting to or back to sleep:  a cool room; no meal immediatly before bedtime; easy on the alcohol; no caffeine; no chocolate; a glass of warm milk; no afternoon naps; keep regular sleep hours; exercise but not before going to bed; read something boring – or soothing – before turning out the lights; and so on. 

However I have three further remedies that work for me that I’ve never read about.  They are:

1.  Clenching hands — When I wake up in the middle of the night, I sometimes find that my hands are clenched.  I simply unclench and lay them flat.  I suddenly feel relaxed;

2.  Deep breathing — I will breathe in through my nose, hold the breath and then exhale.  Slowly.  Deeply.   Through my mouth.  I get exhausted doing it.  After 7 or 8 times, it’s pretty much back to dreamland; and

3.  A pad of paper — I will often wake up thinking (you wonder – what could this man possibly be thinking?).  So I have a pad of paper by the bed.   And a flashlight.  I jot down whatever random drivle  comes into my small brain and I can then forget it.   zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. . . . .

And if these remedies don’t work, call me and I will start singing “Oh Shenedoah” (see post of August 14, 2011) .  That should do the trick. . . . .