I wonder if I used to have a much sharper brain as a kid, or if I just grew older and now have a lot of weight on my brain. People never assumed that I was forgetful back then because I used to remember pretty much everything, from birthdays to cartoon shows I loved to the dreams (and nightmares) I had then. Now my mind's often running many programmes concurrently, and you know the rest...
You know, speaking of dreams, I remember that I didn't quite understand the concept of rest as a kid back then. It didn't add up in my small brain. How can there be so much to achieve in a day and we would take out about eight hours to do, uh, absolutely nothing? Pffft...I had a ton of cartoon shows to catch up on, video game levels to complete, and the internet to explore.
I spent most of my time doing what I really wanted to do and never really sleeping adequately, as well as getting grounded from the TV and my game console. Heh. Soon enough, everyone started noticing that I wasn't sleeping well because, of course, I started looking pale and became less and less active. There sure is no cheating nature, especially when you only sleep under an hour a day too often.
Anyway, I know better now. I learned over time that without adequate sleep, you would never be as optimal as you can be with good rest. Still, I spend a lot of time "doing" and never really resting, so much so that falling asleep and staying that way for as long as necessary's a bit of a difficulty sometimes.
But...When we fall asleep, where do we go? Well, that's the title of the album by Billie Eilish I am listening to while I write this. I heard Bad Guy, one of its songs, in a film today and remembered it. So... Really, though? Where do we go when we are asleep? And am I the only one who doesn't remember their dreams sometimes, and that it's more like I blink and a couple of hours pass by?
I learned something new about myself some years ago. If I don't feel fatigued enough, I will be up earlier than I should for good rest. And, usually, external things could wake me up easily, such as the notifications on my phone. So I figured that exercising helped me rest more and longer when I tried out the gym.
Weeks ago, I started to make certain shifts in my lifestyle, and it has involved working out a lot more and eating a thief. Lifting weights is what I am doing more of now than callisthenics, simply because I think it's easier. Heh. What happens then is that, you know, I feel exhausted enough and then sleep a lot more.
I can make these changes easily now because I am not working as much as before when the school is in session and when I have community service. I'd have that locked in before all that resumes, and I'll find a balance between them.
Back to dreams, again. When I remember them, they're usually influenced by my most recent experiences or some really weird sedatives. And for a guy who watches movies often, you can imagine what goes on in my head when I'm asleep. Some of them are hilarious!
How do you like your sleep? Most people are never comfortable in hot environments. Some don't enjoy cool environments either. If I had my way every time, I would keep my space cooler than room temperature. That's how you could find me smiling in my sleep.
Listening to music. Yes. Listening to music before bed is something I often find myself doing every night. I have certain playlists I made myself or the ones Spotify makes for me that I play until I'm off to La La Land. On most days, it helps me sleep better.
I could do better with my sleep routine, in essence. For now, this is how it is for me.
By the way, this post was inspired by the #aprilinleo prompt for the day, Sleep + Dreams. Check here to learn more. And, also, make earnings with your content on Hive via InLeo while you truly own your account. If you're new, sign up in a few minutes by clicking here!
All images are mine