I Sleep

Each night after a relaxing shower, braiding my hair to keep it off my face all night, reading my Bible, then bedtime prayers, I sleep.
In a long silky, white floor length gown or a Mickey Mouse night shirt with socks that moisturize my feet as I sleep.

Nothing significant there, except, of course, for the nights that sleep can't find me or I can't find sleep. When I am able to sleep, there's a chance that the nightmares will happen, yet, a 50/50 chance that they won't. I take my chances.

A sleep aid is most often involved in getting to sleep. I used to use whiskey or vodka to help the process along. Mixing sleeping meds & alcohol didn't kill me although, many times I had wished it would! I only stopped using alcohol to speed the process when the empty calories impeded my goals in fitness & becoming more lean.

Have you heard of lucid dreaming?

Look it up!

I have used lucid dreaming to dream about that which I want, therefore, automatically eliminating what I don't want to dream of. It only works sometimes. 

As an aid to my lucid dreaming, I have photos of who and/or what I wish to dream of. Strongly focusing on that which is desired is only a part of the technique. The mood I'm in can also play a part. Then, there are safety words. Depending upon my mood, the dream can turn from bliss into terror in an instant. For this, I use a sound machine. Rain sounds, ocean sounds, crickets chirping sounds, babbling brook, white noise. It helps.

For those times when my gut tells me that the dream has a possibility of changing, I pre-program a safety word or phrase as I'm dropping off to sleep. In the dream, if it turns into a night terror, I can say the safety word or phrase to instantly escape from the danger or simply make myself wake up.

Sleep has been difficult for me only in the past 10 years or so. Sleeping alone is a very different sleep from when there is someone else in the bed. The warmth, comfort, sounds (as long as it isn't the ex huzz loud snoring!) of another person in the bed next to me were always conducive to better, uninterrupted sleep.

Staying single is my choice, I know. Also, staying happy, peaceful, with more freedom than I have ever had. 

Still, if I could choose who was in the bed next to me, I would sleep the slumber of angels.

For now? I use lucid dreaming.

Try it!

You might like it!