Thank you Mari.

One of my neighbors called me early this morning and woke me up. She's been calling me early in the morning and waking me up for the past week or so. Today I had words with her as I'm tired of her disrespecting my wish not to be called in the morning. She was arguing with me like she was in the right. I can not go back to sleep in the morning once woke up so I am operating on not enough sleep today.

barbara

Barbara,

'Sorry that you have someone inconsiderate in your life like that.
I can usually go back to sleep -- but not always and sleep is soooooo precious and important -- so I understand how put out you might feel.

We sleep with no phone in the bed room and the bedroom door complete closed. I also have a "white" noise maker on in the bedroom.
We never hear any phone when we are sleeping.


When I lived in a different apt with a different set up I used to turn off the ringer on the phone every night. It was ok for me to make phone calls, but no one could get me after a certain time or unless I was a awake and had remembered to turn the ringer back on.

Ever since I can remember, I have had electronic voice mail at home -- I can't hear the other person's voice. So the phone rings four times and goes to voice mail -- like a cell phone. I love it. (So even if the ringer was turned off, I still got the phone message of course.)

I learned these things from my tdoc who taught me a lot about Cognitive behavior Therapy.
He thought that I should make sure that my environment supported me and that I should not
make ANY accommodations to the environment or even to other people.

(I wonder if he has mellowed and changed a little since I knew him.) Anyway, he was good because when I first met him I was in my 20s and putting up with lots of garbage from other people -- and suffering tremendously because of it.

M.

I was going to say I turned the ringer off the phone in our bedroom. When
my husband first started working afternoon's because he usually
needed to sleep later. So I made sure he got the chance.

So I've left it off its much nicer not getting woke up at all hours.
And I can sleep through it most of the time. I just have to be careful
because of Derrick and his seizures.


I am having a good Saturday, hope everyone else is.

Donna

I'm mellow this weekend.

I got to cook TWICE tonight was impromptu... mom went, arrgh i've gotta do this that and ... oh you're going out? i was... but i just said why and found out a veggie-cooking person was needed - SHE * NEVER * ASKS so she really was time-bound i figure and i really like cooking (especially veggies). so i changed back again from outdoor clothes (yep, i was at the grabbing the keys point already) and hopped to it. they were good. dad prefers them cut differently but phooey. i did cut them differently - that's the point. he likes them cut one particular way, and that way only and sorry but i figured howabout something DIFFERENT is all... anyway. they came out nice.

tonight.... we (FINALLY) spring forward. i have already changed all our "common" clocks as well as my personal ones. i'd rather spring sooner than hit 2 am and go grooooaaannn... oh yeah, it's 3. lol. so that's the end of my "ahead of time" postings. heheh. probably this will be the last one since i am off to IM with a friend in a bit here.

i hear ya on the phone ringers and i always turned phones off when the environment was in my control. now i can only control my cell, but when i'm not up for it ... it's off. so i'm totally on board with that!

Abbie, would i be off base to say that you are sounding a little calmer? (LOL could be projecting - i am calmer than i was... BIG TIME! )
Mari i'm sorry to hear about the anxious insomnia that is nasty i hope that resolves and you get some good, DEEP sleep. i find that when anxious even if i sleep i get lighter, lower quality sleep. i am sending you soothing thoughts...

extend that too everyone. for some reason, i feel like soothing thoughts are the thing for all of us tonight.

aha! here is my friend pinging me... off i go now...

much calmer ~ waves ~ off Zyprexa too

Thank Mari, Donna, and Waves.

I would have to unplug my phone in the bedroom cause there is not a way to turn off the ringer. I have a problem with unplugging the phone in case I were to need to call out in an emergency. I would hate to try to plug the phone back up in the dark.

Mari, how did you sleep last night?

Donna, have fun at the party today.

Waves, I am glad you feel much better. The veggies sounds good. That's what I need more of instead of so much meat.

Barbara

Hi Waves...
Calmer NO.... just the opposite!!! I am trying to deal with some very confusing news that could turn very bad at the drop of a hat. I'm waiting for the other show to fall... if you know what I mean...

I wish I were calmer... I am very tired from the lack of sleep... I do sleep some but I am having terrible night mares.....

Thank you for caring!!!
Abbie

Dear Abbie,
Keep doing whatever you can to keep yourself calm.
Sleep is the best thing you can do.
Also, avoid making any big decisions or taking on new projects -- brain might not be thinking clearly.
When do you see the tdoc or pdoc again?
Can you bring someone with you to the next appointments? Someone who can help you communicate your needs??

M.

Barbara,

I used to unplug my phone -- depending on what my apt situation was.

Since being ready in an emergency takes precedence over sleep in your case, you can buy a phone with the nob / button that allows you to turn it off and on.

When I buy my phones, that is the major item I look for.
I have two cheap phones in the house.
Both have caller ID and the ability to turn off the ringer.


Sometimes I take a nap on the couch near the phone. Regardless of who is on the caller ID, I do not answer the phone if I am sleeping.

There is no one who could be calling that is worth my talking to. NO ONE. Just because it rings does not mean that I have to answer it.

Seriously. What information do I need that is more important than sleep?

I,f god forbid, our country is at war, I'll find out when I wake up and turn on the tv or find someone in the neighborhood to talk to.

A friend of mine lives within a range of a nuclear power plant. They have set up outdoor sirens to notify people of a safety issue. No one is going to call him by phone to tell him to take precautions.

Hubby and I do not answer the door when someone knocks unless he knows it is the postman.

We control who talks to us.
If they want to bang on the door because no one is answering, that is their problem (and the neighbors, but not ours).

The neighbor person can be ignored.
If she wants to make a nuisance of herself by banging on windows or something, then you can call the cops.

You could also consider changing your phone number and giving it out only to people who are worth waking you out of your sleep.

M.

Abbie, I hope things be work on for you. Lack of sleep can really work on us.

Mari, point taken.

barbara