Insomnia and Manitowoc County

In 2011, I went through three months of the worst insomnia of my life. It would take hours to fall asleep, and then when I fell asleep, I’d jolt awake in twenty minutes only to start the process all over again. Ambien was my remedy of choice, and while it took care of the sleep, it led to strange behavior and memory distortion, two characteristics that do not complement parenting, homeschooling, or any level of adulting.

The insomnia waned in 2012 and by 2013 I was sleeping mostly well, or as well as a high-strung mother can sleep. I acquired a prescription for Lunesta in 2015 – a sleeping aid that doesn’t lead to strange behavior and memory distortion, but also one that doesn’t work as well as Ambien. I took it occasionally throughout the year.

I started sleeping poorly in November and used the rest of my Lunesta prescription in December (though our Hilton Head trip was lovely, I didn’t sleep well, nor did I sleep much in Montreat). Now it’s January 8 and after binge-watching Making a Murderer on Netflix and getting no sleep on a Lunesta pill, I fear I’m inching back to where I was in 2011.

My to-do list is quite heavy – three big batches of photos to edit, freelance work due immediately, 18 millions loads of laundry to fold – and I’m here staring at the wall fantasizing about a nap. A good, long, warm nap with no children knocking at the bedroom door asking to play XBox.

Are y’all watching Making a Murderer? DUDE. People are sketchy. I told Chuck last night that if ever we get to a Packers game at Lambeau, we will absolutely NOT drive through Manitowoc County, and he was all, “Heck yes we will!”

Happy Weekend, friends. I hope you all get good sleep and that you aren’t wrongly accused, arrested, and imprisoned for a crime you didn’t commit (unless there’s DNA evidence, but even that could be questionable). Be good.