Can't Sleep Tonight

This Is Really Rare For Me

To bed a little after midnight

My left shoulder has been giving me a lot of pain

I am a on my stomach sleeper

With my arms over my head

After an hour

I feel uncomfortable

I turn to my back

But that never lasts

Our cat Charlotte climbs in our bed

She comes up on my left side

I pat her for awhile

She drifts off

I am restless and have to move again

She gets aggravated and hopes off the bed

Why wife says try some Aleve

After refusing because I don't want to get in the habit

I break down and take two

My wife says they aren't habit forming

I have tried putting some pain relieving creme

That helps for awhile

It is tough when you have something that bothers you

Your focus is on sleep and only sleep

I get up and try to write

Hoping to take my mind off of it

Soon I want to hop back into bed

Snuggle right up against my wife

I ate a tasty yogurt and drank a glass of milk

The time is 2:16 and this is an early night for me

On a work night I am in bed four and sometimes five the latest

I get to revue my day

Spending time with my wife

Is always the high point

She had a doctors visit

A check up after she had pneumonia last week

She is feeling so much better

She caught it just in time

The medicine she took did the trick

She finished the z pack

She hasn't been coughing lately

This time is extra special

Because for so many years we both never had a problem

We ran a few errands and mostly window shopped

At home we had a tremendous amount of rain

We have had an ant problem I am trying to correct

I put a gel in the house

i sprayed all around the foundation

To keep all insects out

I have done it in the past

This year I didn't get around to it

Now we pay the price

I am hopeful this will all end well

After downing my last gulp of milk

The yogurt went down smooth

I am going to give bed another try

For all those who are sleeping soundly

Keep up the great work

For those who want to go to sleep

May your eyes close softly and your body lay still

I can't wait to paint the little zzzzzz after your picture

Off to dream land

Sleep oh precious sleep

I do dream of only thee

Comments

DREAM ON (author) on September 11, 2018:

Michael - Milec My wife and have been trying to go to the gym after work which brings us home later. The exercise will make us healthier but that cuts into my writing time. When we get home we are more likely to go right to bed. If we go to the gym in the morning then we are only getting five hours sleep a night and have to head to work from there. I like how you are doing many things to make your sleep and routine the best. Please let me know how it all works out after a few weeks of practice. Right now we average 6 to 7 hours of sleep with a cat nap in between. We are both busy with work and make sure when we go to sleep at night we get a healthy peaceful sleep. Each day we wake up with a positive attitude and work together to accomplish many goals. Some our short term and others are steps towards our retirement still about 19 years away. If I retire at 73. The main goal is to stay fit and healthy each day and keep are minds active. Thank you so much for reading and sharing. All your tips and hints help us both understand life and health a little bit more. Have a wonderful afternoon and as always a beautiful sleep tonight.

Michael Milec on September 10, 2018:

Tough night of yours DREAMON. Though these sleepless nights do not come habitually, it is necessarily dealing with them very intensively. Nights are for sleep and for rest, we were told. For decades while in full workforce, I could sleep soundly without interruption, by 5:35 a.m. and without an alarm clock I was getting up. After changing work discipline ( retired from punching card) having chance to stay longer in the bed, a sleep was gone. Having "free" time for reading/writing has gradually shift into the late night hours, in hope pushing my 6 and a half hours sleep toward the morning. Worst has happen: I started waking up at around four , not able to go back to sleep for almost two hours. I needed improvement. Still working on it by disciplining myself to a scientifically suggested getting off of computer/TV an hour before sleeping, listening to nice classical music and being in the bed just about 10:oo evening. Reading a good book for awhile as needed. I firmly believe I will succeed despite the fact I am awaken almost every night around four. Keeping my eyes closed I begin conversation with The Shepherd. Believing in prayer I start praying for everyone I know, then for others I do not know yet, continuing in counting all the blessings in my life... a list is very long until I fall asleep again. In this age and a stage of my life I know I earned the priviledge to sleep until seven, plus .

Being healthy and active I am carefully scheduling my time to accomplish full time daily engagement to get phisically tired for next night better sleep.

DREAM ON (author) on September 01, 2018:

John Hansen You were the first to comment and it is wonderful to bond even in tough situations with you. Writing helps me in ways I do not yet understand. It clears my mind and body of stress and anxiety. Sometimes it is not an easy fix. Even after I wrote I struggled with sleeping. My mind slowly convinced my body to rest. i was hoping my mind would stop feeling the pain. It wasn't the case. i still gave it the old college try. i love to write when I am in the mood. Words flow smoother. Then again sometimes you have to struggle and the words finally work their way into each spot. Fighting back in some weird way. i don't know how else to explain it.It is real as a piece of fruit I am about to eat. Thank you again for all your kindness and helpful comments. Have a glorious Sunday.

DREAM ON (author) on September 01, 2018:

Louise Prowles Maybe we were all on the same wave length and had many thoughts that had to be told. That couldn't wait till morning. I know even after I went back to sleep it wasn't the same feeling of a nice, calm, peaceful good night sleep. I think we are all back to our wonderful sleep patterns. Please let me know if I am right. If not back to the drawing board and I will go and look for a way to get to the bottom of this. Have an incredible Sunday.

DREAM ON (author) on September 01, 2018:

Gypsy Rose Lee My wife sleeps with her feet tucked tight under the sheet while I like mine uncovered. If my feet are under the sheet I feel closed in and cramped. i am glad you got to sleep. Charlotte will start clawing at me when I'm a sleep if she wants attention or is hungry. I always jump. i know that feeling only to well. Thank you so much for sharing and going up and beyond commenting on so many of my would be poems. Have an amazing Sunday.

DREAM ON (author) on September 01, 2018:

Linda Crampton I keep trying to pull what i feel and think together into one poem. It takes me places. Each reveals more of what I see in my mind but not there yet. Through practice and patience it will finally flow like a river. It takes time but it will find it's own path.thank you so much for all your support and special comments. Happy Sunday.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on August 31, 2018:

You've described a period in your life very well. I like the style of your poems and the way in which you share your experiences and thoughts. I'm glad your wife is getting better and hope your shoulder pain disappears soon.

Gypsy Rose Lee from Daytona Beach, Florida on August 31, 2018:

I was having a tough time sleeping last night too. I seemed hot and put out my feet from the sheet and then it got cold from the AC. It was coming to early morning when I drifted off and just before I really fell asleep Sid jumped on the bed and screamed MEOW.

Louise Powles from Norfolk, England on August 31, 2018:

That's a lovely poem. I hate it when you can't sleep. Very relevant as I had trouble sleeping last night and didn't go to bed till 2 am. =(

John Hansen from Queensland Australia on August 31, 2018:

I feel for you Dream On. I am somewhat of a night owl and often don't get to sleep until 2.00 or 3.00am, then the cats and dogs wake me at 7.00am on the dot to go outside and be fed. I sometimes have a snooze earlier and then wake up and do some writing or reading. I hope your shoulder is better soon.