Movie Night

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It's 8:00pm so it's time to take my evening vitamin suplements of Melatonin (to promote sleepiness), Magnesium (for relaxation), and Vitamin D. Since I've stopped drinking a few days ago, falling asleep has become a huge challenge without the aid of alcohol. Then it's time to make some popcorn and sit down to watch a movie on Netflix.

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I've done the dishes and the house is tidy. I want to make a point of having the house in order at all times, as a clean living environment aids in having a clean working mind. 

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Dimming the lights is not only for watching the movie but also for further Melatonin production, as the dimming light signals to the brain that it is soon time to prepare for sleep, just as the setting of the sun does to the body naturally. (The rising sun, and that light you can detect through your closed eyelids, signals to the body to produce Seratonin, which is the chemical to make you wake up). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've rolled up a joint for after the movie is finished, as well as having some hot chocolate & cookies ready to make before bed. I've smoked weed for decades (I'm 55) and it has never been a problem for me - unless I'm really drunk and smoke up, then it sends me into a dizzying crash. Usually I smoke only a half a joint per day, right before bed, although on crappy rainy or snowy days off work I could be talked into smoking one and couch surfing the day away. As it sits, I'm going for "California Sober" for the time being. I struggle with falling asleep so much, a half a joint before bed seems a much better choice than sleeping pills - or a 6 pack of strong beer (8%) which is my usual fare. 

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Bed-time! It's about 11:00pm now and hopefully I've made myself sufficiently drowsy to fall asleep. I'm only a few days in and my body has not adjusted to sleeping without alcohol. In fact, I've only been able to get between zero and three hours sleep since I began a few days ago. It will improve. It's just a phase my body is going through until my natural circadium rythym reasserts itself. This is one of those "triggers" that keeps one dependent on alcohol. 

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For a while now I've been paying attention to my sleeping environment. I keep my bedroom rather cool and I love it this way. It makes my nice warm bed a special, comforting retreat. I bought a set of high quality sheets a while back for $160 and let me tell you, it really makes a difference! Also, I make sure to have all the lights out so as not to inhibit REM sleep while turning on my TV to a YouTube channel which provides 10 to 12 hours of the sounds of heavy rain and thunder with a blacked out screen. My favourite channel is called the "sleeprelaxchannel". Not only do these sounds help me drift off to sleep but they have the added benefit of drowning out the snoring of my fat-ass neighbour through the thin walls of this 1980's apartment building. Without the TV on this way, I get so mad listening to Piggy Grunty McSnort sleeping while I cannot, that I fantasize punching a hole through the wall and strangling him with my bare hands. Thus, there are multiple benefits to playing the sounds of a thunderstorm while I'm sleeping.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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