Casa Rosales

Casa Rosales

Saturday 9 March 2013

What do you do...

at 5am when you can't sleep?

For years after I had my children, I would be creeping round the house at between 3 and 4 in the morning - unable to sleep til around 6. The last hour in bed often brought wonderful sleep with amazing dreams and I never felt I suffered because of lack of sleep.

Then, since moving to Spain, I seem to have grown out of this habit. I often wake at the same time but drift off without the need for a prowl. Tonight has been an exception and I'm down here now, with an active dwarf hamster (did I mention we now only have one? Technically speaking that is; this one carries the remains of her sister inside....that was a traumatic day. I can't really recommend having two hamsters...)

I have a lot on my mind. And we've had a few anxious moments but seem back on track again. It will be fine. I'm not just saying that.

But what I do when I'm prowling in the wee hours is to make a cup of nice, weak tea - preferably Lady Grey, but I've run out of that - and a sandwich. And my sandwich of choice is banana and Marmite on granary bread. I'm not alone in enjoying this particular combination - though I suspect we are a small and select bunch - and found this lovely write up on The Lady Bites blog.

And it's working its magic. I feel grounded again; safe; warm-tummied and yes, just a bit sleepy. Thank goodness it's Saturday and Mateo will take Darwin out in the morning...

Looking forward to a few sweet dreams now.
xxx

19 comments:

  1. Ah Marmite..love it or hate it. I love it and my favourite combination is Marmite and crisps in a sandwich.

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    1. I think, Ayak, I could eat Marmite with almost anything...I have always loved it and glad to say my children do too, though only Romy likes it with banana! Marmite and crisps sounds perfect as a sandwich filler. Axxx

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    2. After reading this post I was reminded of an old post of mine from September 2009 with a checklist of things I do when I can't sleep http://ayak-turkishdelight.blogspot.com/2009/09/insomniacs-checklist.html

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  2. A lady after my own heart with the Earl Grey, but you can keep your banana and marmite sandwich! My preference is for granary toast and any kind of jam.

    I can only imagine the nightmare of the disappearing hamster - "nature red in yooth and claw" and all that!

    Can I send you some Earl Grey? Or am I being pathetic in supposing that it isn't readily available in Spain?

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    1. You are a darling, Gaynor! Thank you for the offer. I love Earl Grey but my favourite is Lady Grey - it's a girly version of the Earl one, with a hint of citrus and a bit less bergamot and I like it with a dash of milk. I have bought myself some decaffeinated tea which will put me on until my mum comes to visit which is early May - if I really can't manage til then, I'll send you an emergency email - the idea of getting a fellow blogger to send me supplies is ridiculously delightful to me!!
      Axxx

      (Oh, yes, there was blood and gore and it was awful...)

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  3. Oh that sounds a magical sleep inducing combination. I am a terrible sleeper but rarely leave my bed. Just toss and turn and huff and puff and eventually I go back off but it's never quality sleep.... Unless like last night I have had so many bad nights I relent and take a non herbal sleep aid and then struggle to lift my head from the pillow I'm so
    zonked out. Horrible and I really can't win. Sleep is a very touchy subject for me.... Maybe I should take a leaf out of your book xxxx

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    1. Oh dear, Sophie - it's not good when you can't sleep but want to but I decided early on that if I can't then the best thing is to enjoy the extra time awake and not to fret about it. I used to do online word games, read blogs, write my own blog or play Spider Solitaire - all quite brain-engaging activities - because usually, it was brain-overload that kept me awake. If I bypassed the 'thinking', I found sleep came quite easily. I don't know that this is a recommended approach but it works for me! Or give yourself a topic to think about whilst you lie in bed - something very different from what might be on your mind. Or relax one set of muscles after the other. I have lots of different techniques but the best one is simply not to let it bother you too much. Easy to say....good luck. Sweet dreams. Axxx

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  4. I am a night prowler, a habit acquired pre children so can't point the blame in their direction. If the world service can't lull me to sleep then I get up make a cup of coffee, mad I know, rather than toss and turn all night. Marmite soldiers for me with a boiled egg please, but you won't get me trying the banana combo. Hope all is well and any troubles will soon pass.

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    1. I'm obviously in good company! I too listen to the world service - usually it lulls me to sleep and is still on when I wake up at 3am! I couldn't drink coffee at that time though - partly because I drink extremely strong coffee, but very weak tea...
      As I said to Ayak, I think I could eat Marmite with absolutely anything! Love it.
      Finding solutions to troubles...we are having luck and feeling much better about things!
      Thank you!
      Axxxx

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  5. Marmite and cream cheese on something crunchy - I very rarely get up when I'm awake at night - I tune in my iPod to Radio 4 Extra and listen to endless old detective story re-runs. I'm usually asleep before the denouement.

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    1. Ooooooh yes!! I might try that one tonight if I feel prowly...or I might just have it for lunch!
      I'm a night time radio listener too - always miss the end of interesting things or hear things through a semi-slumber that create some amazing dreams!
      Axxx

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  6. I wish I'd known you were up... I was too, despite having taken a sleeping pill, which I take to counteract the steroids I have to take straight after chemo...last night the steroids won ! I decided eating was a good idea too.... weetabix did it for me. Pam Reynolds used to iron and bake bread when she couldn't sleep. I am not fully awake now though, and I suspect today is going to be a very dozy sort of day...a shame as I know there is a vintage fair on in Saltaire...and if I could summon up the engergy..that is wher I'd be today. I hope whatever was causing worries has stopped doing so....and that all children and house related issues are doing fine. xxxxx

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    1. It would have been lovely to have a midnight feast together! Sorry you're struggling with the chemicals and pills and all those things that are, evidently, making you better.
      It's been a tense couple of days but we've got to the bottom of the problem and everything is OK. We're just off to buy a big American-style fridge if we can find one locally.

      Don't overdo it, though a vintage fair in Saltaire sounds like a very tempting thing. If it were only possible to whizz over, I would!
      Thanks, Janice, hope you feel better very soon,
      Axxx

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  7. You realise that admitting to something as simple as a Marmite and Banana sandwich could lose you readers? Just kidding ... but honestly Mrs, that is not food worthy of the maker of chocolatey delights ... try some Nocciolata with your banana instead, that stuff's decadence in a jar!

    Hope the road ahead is henceforth smooth and without further cannibalism!

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    1. Hmmmm, I hadn't thought of that, Annie. But you obviously haven't tried it! Such an antidote to chocolate too. I haven't made a Marmite chocolate though....might try that later.

      At least there's nothing left to cannibalise now...it has altered our view of such a sweet little creature but we feel obliged to keep looking after her as it's not really her fault - it's in her genes. But Romy stopped eating meat for a few days til her horror passed.

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  8. I'm a night prowler too....a noise will wake me, or a dog will want to go out and then it's goodbye shuteye.
    Toast and marmite and a cup of Earl Grey works wonders...until the next blasted dog wants to go out...

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    1. I guess it happens to the best of us. I'm a light sleeper but fall asleep very quickly. I'm sure that the first three hours I get are real quality ones - then I have to wait til the last hour or two before getting up time to return to a deep sleep. Darwin is a good sleeper though - he hardly noticed me last night and, like the rest of us, likes a bit of a morning lie in!
      Axxx

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  9. Sorry you've been kept awake by worries, Annie, and I hope they're all sorted now.

    I always used to sleep like the proverbial log, but nowadays it's much more mixed - some nights good, others awful. my answer to everything is to read, but if that doesn't work I'll go downstairs for some weetabix or a bit of bread and jam, but NEVER Marmite. I have to confess to being a dyed-in-the-wool Marmite-hater. Can we still be friends? ;-)

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    1. I'm a bit disappointed, Perpetua, I confess but it takes all types. Marmite-haters included. I don't usually read and usually, it's not being worried that keeps me awake but probably some hormonal thing...

      This time, I know it was too much on my mind but I'm glad to say the worries are dissipating and solutions appearing.
      Thanks
      Axxx

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