Living

I’ve loved coffee my whole life. It’s normal for children to drink coffee in my family’s culture. I vividly recall having a mug every morning alongside my bowl of Cocoa...

If there is 1 thing you can count on when you have insomnia, it is that you cannot count on anything. Sleep schedules vary wildly. The only constant is that...

I’ve shared before that I began struggling with signs and symptoms of insomnia as a child. From frequent movement during the night to blankets strewn across the floor in the...

2020 was a rollercoaster to say the least – and not the good kind. It’s akin to that 1 ride at the amusement park you look forward to all summer...

I think I inadvertently put a restraining order on the sandman at some point in my life. Surely that is the case because he refuses to visit me. Sheep no...

Last week, I begin transitioning back to my full-time office schedule. I will still have days I work at home through May, but this is to prepare me for a...

Without fail, each winter season my mood tanks. As the days get shorter and shorter, the sun hides more than it's found, and the temperatures in the midwest get extremely...

It seems to me that we spend the majority of our lives focussed on caring for others. Our spouses and partners. Our children. Our boss' and business' needs. It's not...

Many people with insomnia, myself included, can become obsessed with tracking their sleep or lack thereof. How many hours did I sleep? How many times did I wake up during the...

My body is no stranger to inflammation. As a kid, it was high sed rates and other inflammatory markers. After college, it was constant physical fatigue far beyond that I’d...

Being tired is one thing. Being completely exhausted from constant insomnia – that, my friends, is a whole new level. I feel very strongly that a good night's rest is...

Deafening silence. Tinnitus. White noise. Eyes wide open. This is my insomnia. I grew up with sleep-stealing monsters under my bed. They are not there. I know better. I know...

When it comes to insomnia, I’ve dipped my fingers into all the metaphorical pies. There are many ways of categorising insomnia and the first is simple – short-term or chronic...

I remember when I was younger, sometimes I’d say things like “Wow, I’m really tired” – to friends or teachers or my parents. If we’re being honest, I probably could’ve...

I have dealt with insomnia for decades now. During that time, I have also dealt with mental illness. Many times when I was having a mental health crisis, doctors wanted...

Usually, when I've taken time off work, it’s for medical reasons and doctor’s appointments. This is my first vacation in probably 5 or 6 years. Maybe even 7. I did...

As many of you know, sleep tests are primarily looking for sleep apnea. Yes, they do test for other things, but primarily for sleep apnea. Through my years working as...

As a nearly life-long insomniac, I am used to living life based on how much (or how little) sleep I have gotten, and as a result, how much (or how...

After writing an article about how quickly a change in routine could trigger my insomnia, I started reading more about the trait that researchers call "sleep reactivity.” Once I learned...

As we grow, some things stick with us and others fade slowly away. For instance, I can remember all my old childhood phone numbers and the color of my first...