How to deal with a small insomnia

If you should wake up at 5:15 because building management is plowing the sidewalks after getting six inches of snow, and is doing something else that sounds like someone shoving large cubes of metal along gravel, then here are some steps you should take in order to try to enjoy the rest of your morning.

First, see if you can go back to sleep. You might find that you are in a state of semi-sleepfulness and semi-wakefulness. Your mind might take this opportunity to display some memories and thoughts of a decidedly non-sleepy nature. If after 10 minutes, you are still not asleep, then try to do your lullabye. This is the thing that you do that usually works at getting you to sleep.

But today it hasn’t worked, and you notice that you’re getting mad at your partner for cursing your sleep. Perhaps he has put a spell on you that makes it hard for you to go back to sleep. Notice the feelings of anger, and take that as a sign that you’re probably not going to be falling asleep at the moment.

Get up, and read about The Origins of Totalitarianism, specifically, the use of propaganda in the establishment of a totalitarian state. It doesn’t matter that you don’t understand 70% of what you’re reading. There’s so much volume in this book that surely you’re gleaning some actual knowledge. Drink some water, enjoy the warmth of your space heater, and in general go ahead and get a start on your morning. Breakfast.

Now it seems so silly that you thought your partner had cursed you by saying, “Good luck sleeping for the next minute.” Those were just words! And they have no power over you anymore. The curse is broken, or, er, it never was.

Then, after about an hour of being awake, why not try sleeping again and see if it works.

See, there you go. All the curses are gone. The bad snow plowing machines are gone. Everything is gone.

Good night, for now.