I’ve heard of the 3am hour as “the Witching Hour.” It’s appropriate enough this time of year. The mums are out in front of myself, the fake plastic skeletons are in the ground, and we even have red lightbulbs that have a “short circuiting” effect.
All of this is fun in a spooky sense, but there are often times I awake at 2am or 3am. I don’t live in the Amityville Horror house and I am certainly not James Brolin. Nonetheless, early morning wakeups are an issue from time to time.
I’ve also heard it said that nothing good happens at 3am.
Whether summer or fall, I can awake and that starts my mind going. Not with fear per se, but with thoughts.
Non-stop thoughts.
Why did I wake up? When will I fall asleep? Did something happen? What do I have to do tomorrow? What did I do todaywhatwillIdowiththekidsihaveastudenteacherhowcanihelpsupportheramidoingenoughasadadhusbandslp?(No, I haven’t gone crazy, but this never-ending stream can feel like so many words strapped together).
What to do at 3am with a runaway train mind? I’ve considered getting up and resetting. Television or looking at the phone won’t really help with that, but perhaps resetting with a book in low light.
What about deep breathing and being mindful of those breaths. This can help, and I will drift off after a time.
What about trying to “stop” the thoughts? I have found that never works. I am reminded of a story in the film “Saving Private Ryan.” The soldiers are camped out over night and one character talks of trying to wait up for his Dad so he could say good night. The same ideas apply but in the same way. The character in “Saving Private Ryan” cannot stay up- telling myself to “stop” thinking inevitably leads to more thinking and less sleep.
What about controlling the thoughts and thinking of positive things? Sometimes I will imagine playing a sport or engaging in a fun activity. In a way, visualizing what it would be like. This can often help too, but also requires mindfulness.
In the end, the mind is your strongest muscle. Defects in thinking can lead to disaster. In the same regard, unfettered “thinking” (really just worrying or running through repetitive thoughts) can disrupt sleep and make it harder to function the next day. Directing thoughts; deep, mindful breathing, and resetting without a screen are all ways to help bring back sleep. Sleep, like time, is one of our greatest gifts. It’s positive effects long outlast the time spent in the act. Protecting your sleep both before bedtime and during it will benefit greatly in the long run.
