Cattywampus

I’m writing this at 4am, because I’m still adjusting to the time change after our family trip to Israel.

Here’s what I learned about myself:

I don’t sleep on planes.

I don’t adjust to other time zones.

I don’t sleep when I get back from other time zones.

Allison is pretty much the same, so we have averaged four to five intermittent hours of sleep per day over the past two weeks.

Naps are like tranquilizer darts.

I find myself slumped over my truck’s center console or waking up in my office chair having no recollection of what happened.

“You need to just keep rolling through and adapt to the time you’re in” is popular advice.

What I keep thinking to myself is that this is how some people live all the time.

Their sleepers are broken.

Mine is not.

I’m a great sleeper.

I’m not right now, and I’m living this experience.

My joints are killing me, I can’t concentrate well, and I can feel my muscles cramp when I move in the slightest way, which is a little awkward.

Working out is not an option.

I’m not only completely lacking motivation, but I can sense that I would hurt myself.

My phone fitness tracker says that I’m walking 13-15000 steps per day, which is pretty normal for me, but the idea of increasing load and intensity just wouldn’t make sense right now.

We were supposed to go see a college soccer game last weekend, but I bailed because I thought it was dangerous for me to drive more than 30 minutes.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, now more than ever, I appreciate the challenge of folks who don’t sleep.

In my case, I know that eventually I will trend back to my normal, healthy patterns.

Folks who don’t sleep never do.

They just adapt to this lifestyle, and I’m amazed about that.

If you’re somebody like this, please don’t stop trying to fix it.

Your health depends on it.

We’re here to help however we can.

~TJ