Insomnia

The Friday Five today at RevGalBlogPals is about insomnia. Do you have times when you just can't sleep? Do you have habits you use to help solve it?

First, a story. I was having problems sleeping. I would go to sleep and then wake up and not be able to return to sleep for hours. I was complaining about this during our carpool ride when JtM said, "Are you drinking caffeine?"

Well, yes, but it's never bothered me. Just to give the idea a try, I stopped caffeine at 8pm or so. I slept great, that very night. So my question is this -- why did it take me so long to realize what the problem was?

Anyway, the Friday Five:

1. Are you prone to sleep challenges? Insomnia, snoring, allergies? Other sleep challenges? Even though I've stopped the caffeine in the evenings, I still have times of insomnia. Sometimes I wake up with worries and problems on my mind that keep me awake. Sometimes it seems to be for no reason at all. Either way, I'm awake with no hope of sleep.
2. When you can't sleep what do you do? Toss and turn? Get up and read? Play computer games? Sometimes I toss and turn, trying to get back to sleep. Other times, I just get up and go to the family room. I'll turn on the TV and knit. Or I'll just watch TV. The television will take my mind off whatever is gnawing at me. I often drift to sleep in Steve's chair. I don't know why I gravitate to the easy chair in the middle of the night, but I do.
3. When you do sleep do you remember your dreams? Or just snipets of them? I do sometimes remember my dreams. It seems that my normal sleep pattern is to drift off to sleep for about a 1/2 an hour, then to wake up and go back to sleep (hopefully) again. that 1/2 hour of sleep is usually dream rich, and I'll often remember the dreams when I wake up. I even remember other dreams, especially right when I wake up.
4. Can you share a funny or confusing dream you've had? Or a dream you have over and over? The two weeks between when I gave notice at my old job and was preparing to start my present job, I worked very hard in the lab (This isn't dream; this is real life). It was a very hectic two weeks, trying to get done the "finishing up" I wanted to do to leave the lab in good shape along with the not as necessary items other people wanted me to get done. I put off packing my personal belongings until about the last day. I was sure that wouldn't take very long. It took forever. I even had to go back on Saturday to finish. So, with that in mind, my dream...A few weeks ago I dreamed I was back in the lab after two years of not being there. I was packing! And watching TV, I think. Who put a TV in there? In addition to packing, I was walking around as if I was back to working in the lab. Confusing. Glad it was a dream.
5. When you don't sleep how do you get through the day? Lots of coffee? or a nap later in the day? Oh, I just manage. I don't have a real coping technique.

Image: Sunset this evening.