Sleep sleepy sleep sleep...zzzzzzzzz

I decided to be organised this Thursday and tweeted for prompts last night. I sat back and waited for all of my loyal and devoted followers to tweet me their prompts...as time passed I continued to hit the refresh button...I have to conclude that Twitter was down for about 12 hours because I only had the two prompt suggestions and both from the one person!

The prompts were:

• Southern Charm
• Omnipotence

I considered these and instead opted for an indirect prompt. The prompt came via my dear friend and comrade in the impending uprising...by dear friend I mean; I have exchanged tweets for about a week now and by comrade in the impending uprising I mean: comrade in the impendning uprising.

He has been suffering from insomnia and even tweeting to me didnt help (I thought it was fail safe!) and thus I bring to you this weeks Thursday Theme (drum roll please....)

SLEEP

Sleeping is something that I have always been very good and I would even go so far as to call it a natural talent. Ever since I was a child I have always listened to my body telling me its tired and need to sleep. My sister never wanted to go to sleep in case she missed something, I on the other hand, would always take myself to bed without being told. If ever we went anywhere and were walking home around my usual bedtime (which I didnt need) I would hold my mums hand and just sleep.

I have had moments when I can't sleep and I find the best remedy is to tell someone I can't sleep (automatically my body tells my brain - I'll show you!) or alternatively I try to clear my mind and think of blackness. I am very lucky in that both methods work for me. My sleeping habits are probably one of the few things that I never worry about. When I am asleep, I am pretty much dead to the world, you can shout, scream, play loud music, hurrican, earthquake, storm, phone, anything....I will sleep through. I can also go to sleep when in a noisy environment.

This has all served me well on my travels, I can sleep on buses, trains, planes and in noisy environments such as in shared accomodation. When travelling it is a great advantage to be able to go to sleep as soon as you get on transport until you reach your destination and especially if travelling overnight. My sister was always amazed that my friend and I could get on a bus and bo the be napping within 10 minutes. I think that it is this natural sleeping ability that makes me a morning person. I wake up very happy and maybe a little less energetically these days than I used to.

A tale...

The funniest sleep story I have is one from when I was in my teens. Imagine it, its 1991, John Major is the prime minister, there is a mortar attack on 10 downing street, George Carey is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury, Manchester United win the European Cup, The National Gallery opens its new Sainsbury wing, two IRA terrorists shoot their way out of Brixton prison, CERN get a website and John McCarthy is freed from Lebanon, Bryan Adams Everything I do (I do it for you) is playing, and Louis from One Direction is born, the country is in recession and I have my own room on the ground floor of the house. We live in a cul-de-sac and my bedroom window is next to the front door. My room is pretty small but sharing with my sister is not an option, she isnt a morning person and I need my own space to mess up. The bed is underneath the window. I've drawn you an intricate sketch of my room so you can envisage it in all its glory...

 

So one evening, my mother had gone out for the night, and I had eventually grown tired and gone to bed underneath the window (see diagram above) and was happily dreaming away as per usual. Unfortunately for my mother, I had locked the front door latch before going to bed. When she returned and put her key in the door - sleeping beauty...thats me!...was snoring away. So she knocked gently on the window to stir me from my slumber...knock knock...no response just more snoring...knock knock knock...no response. So she beagn to knock much harder on the window and bang on the door. Don't forget this was pre-mobile phone times. Some time passed and she banged again. The next thing you know, she has awoken aforementioned sleeping beauty - who whips the curtain back, glares through the window and shouts;

"Do you mind? People are trying to sleep in here!"

then drops the curtain back and returns to her slumber. At which point my long suffering mother starts banging on the window again. A switch must have clicked in my head then a s I dragged myself out of bed, unlocked the door and returned to sleep again.

An ode to sleep...

As the clock ticks away and my body prepares, to sleep away my worries and cares

As the night draws in and darkness prevails, I get ready for bed and read bedtime tales

As my eyelids grow heavy and threaten to close, and the only sound is silences echoes

As I fall into slumber without counting sheep, i'm away with the fairires and I dont give a bleep!

Sleep themed playlist..(in no particular order)

Sleep Alone by Bat for Lashes

No Sleep till Brooklyn by Beastie Boys

I need some sleep by Eels

Sleep by General Fiasco

I guess I should go to sleep by Jack White

Sleep by The Roots

Fear of sleep by The Strokes

Sleep Alone by Two Door Cinema Club

So tell me...

Funny sleep stories to share? What do you swear by for helping you sleep?