Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Free Range Sleeping

It's my new sport. I've substituted competitive figure skating for free range sleeping.

Okay, I need to explain a little more. I was reading my new ebook on sleeping, 40 Sleeping Hacks, and ran across the phrase 'free range sleeping' and thought "hey, that is what I do". It is sort of like being a free range chicken. I wander around my house and yard and sleep where ever I happen to get tired. I have slept on every couch in the house, every bed except my son's (too icky), the hammock, several chairs and of course the pool floatie. I often mix it up and spend a few hours on the couch and then move to the bed or the reverse if the neighbor's dog starts up.

Since I am in 'listen to your body' mode, I sleep when I am tired whether that is 4am or 4pm. Then I wake up when I am done. No alarm clocks. The sleeps can be as short as ten minutes or as long as 14 hours. My sleep doc would pitch a fit that I'm not following the 'good sleep hygiene' practices laid out by the National Sleep Foundation. But this is my reasoning: the docs have no idea what is wrong with me other than an invasion of my body by some virus; they don't know how to fix me; the mighty battle continues to rage on with no end in sight; so I think my body knows what it needs more than the docs have a clue; so if it wants sleep that is what I give it and if it wants awake I'm up.

Now I have every respect for both the National Sleep Foundation and my sleep doc and I have followed their advice on good sleep hygiene for over four years now (well most of the time) and I gained much benefit form it. However, that is when I was well. Now I'm sick and no one knows what is wrong or how to fix it so I'm in all bets are off mode. Screw the rules I'm giving my body what it wants.

Anyone want to join me in a free range sleeping contest? No alarm clocks required.

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