REM

For years I was a night owl. Ran late, ate late, read late, etcetera. But in the last few years, I’ve been hitting the hay pretty early. Nine- or ten-o’clock are the most frequent times that I or my body decide to call it quits.

I’ve attributed this new sleep pattern to age. That said, there are a bevy reasons regarding these changes (many supported by research) which have nothing to do with age.

Not only am I going to bed earlier, my nights have become more restless. Even my dreams have changed. In the past, my dreams were fairly eclectic. Nowadays, these nocturnal episodes can fit into two categories: swimming and driving.

I used to be skeptical when people told me they had recurring dreams. That, of course, changed when I started having my own.

My “swimming” dreams have thrown me for a loop. Or perhaps a lap, because that’s what I’m doing during those dreams: swimming lap after lap after lap. What’s strange is that I don’t even like to swim!

Wait, it gets even more bizarre.

I always swim at the same place: Behind the old Mervyn’s (yes, the Skatetown building) on White Road in San Jose. I know, wild right? Some of you who are reading this are old enough to remember these businesses. Why my mind chooses to place me in a lap pool behind that building? Weird. As far as I can remember, there was no pool near that site. I do recall a bowling alley. Alas, I’ve yet to have recurring dreams about bowling.

My “driving” dreams are less strange, and are always in different areas. There is, however, one constant: I’m always backing-up; never driving forward. Moreover, it’s usually at a high rate of speed, and the brakes never work! Could this be a sign of stress? Maybe.

While my sleep isn’t always peaceful, I do experience some good ol’ REM. Still I haven’t learned to refrain from saying I didn‘t sleep well, because my bride quickly reminds me of my annoying snoring.

I recently read that taking naps is a bad idea if one has trouble sleeping at night. Bad news for me because I love to nap! Wine and coffee later in the day aren’t good either Ugh! More bad news.

I also learned that 12 percent of the population suffers from insomnia (I don’t have that); and sleep apnea affects 30 million Americans. Make that 30 million and one. I have to sleep on my back because of it.

Sometimes when I’m up at night, I’ll reach for my phone and scroll through social media for a few minutes. And while I may be compelled to like or comment on something, I usually refrain so as to prevent someone from typing: You’re awake?!

Studies show that when people say they don’t sleep well, it’s true. Parts of the brain that should have been resting do not.

There is something called “biphasic sleep,” which is a pattern where sleep is divided into two distinct periods within a 24-hour cycle. Not sure I have time for that.

A friend of mine takes Advil PM every night before bed. And I know some others who take Ambien. Neither of these interest me. My nights aren’t THAT restless.

I simply want to stay up later, like I used to.

If I’ve bored you with any of this, take a nap. But remember, you may not get a good night’s rest if you do.