Good morning, dear reader.  It’s presently 04:55 in Fecal Creek, which is where I’m sitting as I type this.  I woke up at 02:00…suddenly wide awake, eyes open…for no evident reason. This usually doesn’t happen.  Usually once I get to sleep, I stay that way until the alarm goes off or the sun comes up, whichever comes first.  It’s been that way for several years now.  The only exceptions have been when I’ve over-indulged in whiskey earlier the previous day…that causes weird things to happen with my blood sugar which causes me to suddenly be wide awake usually around 3 in that morning.  But I’ve been so busy with the book and other projects, I haven’t had the time to drink.  Not a drop in at least 2 weeks.  So that’s not it.

A couple of years ago I went through a period of extreme stress, and during that time, I was waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning.  That went on for weeks.  Until I figured out how to deal with it.

The sun won’t rise for another 2 hours, and since I have some “extra” time this morning, I thought I share my secret to dealing with insomnia: Don’t Fight It.  That’s it.  Embrace it as an opportunity.  If you wake up and know that you are not going to be able to get back to sleep, say Fuck It and get up.  Rather than staying in bed and either stressing yourself to go back to sleep for another few hours when it’s clear that’s not going to happen, or stressing about whatever stressful thing it was that woke you up in the first place, get up and get to work, whatever “work” means for you in that moment.  If you’re able to start your actual job a couple of hours early, do it.  Doubtful your boss will get upset with you for that.  I typically start writing.  You might work out.  I know a guy who started building these big-ass planter boxes in his backyard.  He had no idea what he was doing when he started…just did it…figured it out as he went along.  Watched YouTube videos.  Of course, dude lives out in the county, so there aren’t any neighbors around to bitch about hammering and sawing at dawn [author’s note: I am extremely jealous of his “county” life.  I live within city limits and am thus subject to the most ridiculous restrictions.  My next house will most definitely not be in any city limits.  I want to not have to see any neighbors, be able to wear a sidearm, and burn the trash in a huge oil barrel.  Anyway, I digress].  He’s been working on the planter project for a year now.  He built 5 huge planters and is now growing his own vegetables and potatoes. It’s pretty cool.

An hour left until the sun rises once again over Fecal Creek, but I’ve already been at it for two hours.  Of course, I’ll be dragging ass by lunch, and a lesser person my submit to a nap.  But not me.  I have access to caffeine, and cause is both just and righteous, and I am actually just able to will my way through it.  And then comes the best part: sleep tonight.  The sleep one gets the night after one gets three hours of sleep or less is glorious.

Alright…gotta get back to the book.

N.P.: “Love Will Tear Us Apart” – Apoptygma Berzerk, Emil Nikolaisen