Sleeplessness

What do you think about when you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep? This past week, I've had trouble falling asleep, and frequently wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty getting back to sleep, so I've had a lot of time to lie in bed and let my mind wander. Here are some of the things I tend to think about when I'm lying awake:

• Things that happened that day.
• Conversations I'd had, and things I might have said differently.
• Projects I want to work on.
• Books I've read.
• Blogs I want to write.
• Poems and other things I have memorized, such as "Jabberwocky", "The Walrus and the Carpenter", "The Listeners", "The Road Not Taken", The Articles of Faith etc.
• The elements of the periodic table - like counting sheep (1. Hydrogen, 2. Helium, 3. Lithium...)
• Dreams I've had in the past that I can remember.
• Noises - like rain falling on the roof, Peter's snoring, the clock ticking, my own breathing...

Eventually, either I do fall asleep (with strange dreams more often than not) or morning comes and it is time to get up. I avoid taking naps during the day because I know that affects my sleep, although on Sunday, I did take a brief cat nap - less than half and hour, because I just couldn't keep my eyes open. I've gotten up at 5:30am for family scripture reading and haven't returned to bed afterwards, and gone to bed before 10pm, or 9pm if I could. Last night I finally did feel like I got enough sleep. Hopefully my body is adjusting to school being in, and whatever was keeping me awake is getting out of my system!