Perchance to Dream

I have been taking my new sleep medication for 2 weeks now. It's amazing! I actually am getting deep sleep. I must be - I wake up feeling almost alive! Anyone who has ever seen me first thing in the morning - well, they wish they hadn't. I stumble, I trip over the pattern in the flooring, I whack shoulders into doors, I forget where I am, I drop things, and any improvement is not going to happen for at least an hour. I don't cook in the mornings because I will burn myself on the pan. Or drop a dozen eggs in the dishwasher.

If someone called on the phone and woke me up, it was obvious I had been sleeping. Within a few minutes, I could sort of carry on a conversation. Maybe not a normal one, but I would always try. If someone is calling at an odd time, they usually need someone to talk to, and I am happy to be a good friend.

My dreams used to be vivid to the point that I made jokes for a long time about them being so much like movies that all that was missing was the credits. Then, one night, I dreamed those, too! For real. It made me laugh, but it did happen. My nightmares were as real, sad to say. Dreams hadn't been quite as prevalent as in the past.

Suddenly I am jammed into deep sleep within a few minutes of when I feel the effects of the medication. Not much time seems to be spent in the lighter sleeps at first. I am awake, and then I am history. A few hours later, I am awake, and I must take a second dose, and then I am history. I do wake up briefly off and on when I hear something, or I move over, whatever, but I am right back out within seconds.

I am remembering dreams again. I always seem to have one right before waking up. They are so real that they feel more like memories than dreams. None have been nightmares, so far. They are even more logical than dreams usually are.

One odd reaction from this medication, and not just with me, is that I wake up all of a sudden. I am in a deep sleep, and then I am not. Bingo presto, I am awake and functioning like a human! I walk like one, I talk like one, and even the dogs are trying to figure out if this morning mom is a ringer. Aliens have taken over our chef!

This morning I woke up at 7:49 am. Within 15 seconds of that, ST called me. I wasn't expecting to hear from him early this morning, it was just a total coincidence. He did not know I had been sleeping just before he called. He could not tell. No daytime drag with this stuff! I even remember the conversation.

There are some downsides. No alcohol within 4 hours of ingestion. Seeing Baby puke up her antibiotic was enough to cure me of even being curious. No food at all for 2 hours before I take it. I am rather used to a late snack, and often I forget to eat dinner and now I just have to go without. It hasn't been a problem, since I haven't been very hungry, either. At any time of the day. Oh, and no naps. The chances of me being able to nap are slim, but it doesn't matter because I have no desire.

I feel more alert all the time. No dragging my ass around after an hour or two of doing anything at all. I am not up to the pace I used to keep, but I sort of have some wishful hopes now. My memory is a tad improved, but not any where near where I hope it gets back to. My skin seems less dry. My hair feels better. Sometimes I think my vision is sharpening, maybe just a tiny bit. Parts of my to-do list are getting shorter.

I am hoping I can stay with the program and continue using this medication. I feel really quite good! It's amazing what loss of sleep was doing to me.

My reading is even better. Before, with the previous sleep medication, I needed an hour lead time before it started to really work. However, the sedation and the hypnosis would start sooner, and I would forget in the morning what I had read the night before. I sometimes had to do some re-reading. Not any more - I take the medication and go to bed. I remember what I read! I haven't been able to do that for 20 years.

The dogs are happy, too. When I am awake too much I toss and turn for hours. It's ruins part of their 20 hours a day of beauty sleep.