Scrolling With Insomnia: 3 Reminders I Got From a Facebook Ad

We have all been there – scrolling social media in the wee hours. Insomnia or not, we are all guilty of spending extra time perusing Facebook or Instagram when we really should be getting some shuteye.

For those of us who have even periodic insomnia, the shuteye doesn’t come so easily and scrolling is 1 more mindless activity that may or may not help bore us to sleep. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.

When social media can read you

A couple of nights ago, I was in the middle of a really good scroll when an ad caught my eye:

“What does your body need?”

Though my volume was down and I was just reading the text, the ad seemed to scream at me – to speak to my very soul. The Facebook ad launched me down quite the rabbit hole.

What does my body need? Is this what’s wrong with me – why I can’t sleep? Was there something inherently important that, at the age of 46, I was still not doing for myself? Were my needs different from everyone else’s? Why was this so hard to figure out?

So many questions and at such an inopportune time.

The wheels begin to turn

Now, at this point in time, I couldn’t even begin to tell you what product or service the ad was touting – refreshing my newsfeed took care of that.

I can, however, tell you that those words resonated with me and, for several minutes, I spent time listing all the things I thought my body might be asking for that I hadn’t actually been providing.

1. Fresh air

I haven’t been outside enough lately. The weather has recently cleared up and warmed enough for me to be outside, and I haven’t taken advantage of the clear skies and longer evenings. I think my body may want me to start my evening walks again. Generally speaking, I do feel more prepared for sleep when I have had a long walk.

2. Brain food

Ugh. I hate this one. Ashamedly, I haven’t been eating like I should. For several months, I tried a low-salt diet to help combat symptoms of Meniere’s disease. Like any diet, it quickly grew old. As beneficial as it was, I became lax with it. Fast food is fast and easy for a reason, and I fall into the french fry trap all too easily. I am sure my body is craving more vitamins and minerals. It’s definitely worth noting that I sleep better when I eat better. This is a no-brainer, I shouldn’t have needed a Facebook ad to remind me to say no to the drive-thru.

3. Put up or shut up

It’s time for some real truth-telling. I don’t think I am alone in this one. As it happens, I am 1 of those folks who tucks away all these great ideas and says I will use them, but I never actually follow through. With the best of intentions, I make notes and honestly mean to set the tips and tricks I have so carefully researched into motion, but life gets in the way. One of those fantastic tips I found was “brain-dumping.” Fascinated, I watched the video and put a pin in it for later. Should I have gone back to it and tried it? Yes. Did I? Well, no. Does my body need it? I am more than convinced it is probably craving this very thing.

Sometimes the answers are simple

The school year, the most challenging 1 yet, is nearing its hectic end. I am sleeping less and worrying more. Now that I have identified a few things my body has, no doubt, been missing, I am hoping to see big changes in my sleep patterns. Sometimes the answers are simple. The problem is – we didn’t know we needed to ask the question.

What does your body need? Tell us in the comments!