“Many faces of tired!”
The “Comfy Chair” is more than a chair in my mind. It is a refuge from all of the insanity that seems to have taken over our world.
When I settle into my “Comfy Chair,” the world melts away, and I can seek to recharge to take on the next chore or issue that faces me. You have heard that someone can be suffering from exhaustion!
Being tired has many complex levels. There is physical tiredness: you feel this in your muscles, bones, and gut. It can be oppressive. It can be caused by hard work, sports, yard chores, walking the dogs, cleaning the house, or for some, just getting through the day.
There is a mentally tired: includes difficulty thinking, eyes pinch, hard to stay awake, and lack of focus. Mentally tired people may feel they cannot deal with everyday living events.
Next is emotionally tired, relationships can keep one exhausted, and drama and the emotional roller coaster that occurs in life can create a tiredness that is situationally dependent. Socially tired: keeping up appearances in social settings can be draining.
Unless you are truly being yourself, it is hard to pretend to be something you’re not. Posers can fake it for a while, but often the patina fails, and the true self shows through. Chronic illness takes its toll making one tired, and dealing with multiple or intolerable hardships challenges one’s ability to get rest. Of course, pain alone people seek sleep to escape from pain for a while if they can fall asleep, and often cannot fall asleep from pain. Stress is a huge contributor to being tired.
Stress can have many different facets and causes. What may cause stress to one person may not cause stress to another. Stress can lead to many unintended consequences for health and mental well-being.
Many of us will have to deal with the types of being tired listed above. Some may have one or more to deal with at the same time. Whatever the root reason for being tired, sleep can often be a help with dealing with many types of tiredness.
Sleep specialists offer many tactics to help one get to sleep. Keep your bedroom and bed for sleeping. Develop set routines and times for sleep. Determine if sound machines or music will help you get to sleep.
Many people wake up in the early morning hours, say around 3 a.m. Some can quickly fall asleep; some just lay there awake. Some need to get up and visit the restroom.
Then there is “dog tired” that’s when my dogs come in from playing, and they are so tired they flop on the floor and start snoring immediately. I believe I have done that once or twice!
A good night’s sleep is a blessing. A good power nap can be a blessing. Most nights, if you get a good night’s sleep, that’s wonderful. If you have sleep issues, discuss them with your caregiver and, if needed, seek help from a sleep specialist.
Sleep apnea can be disruptive and may cause health problems for some who suffer from this ailment. There are CPAP machines and various other options for controlling sleep apnea. I use a CPAP machine and have for at least 15 years. I average about 7.5 hours of sleep and wake up ready for the day!
“ Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others.” – © Joel M. Vernier 11/ 6/ 2022 Author of: “ The Guinea Pig In The Freezer.” joelmvernier@ aol. com.