The moon has been waxing its heart out this last week so I’m often awake by 4:30 am. I have been trying to shift my sleep schedule earlier, but this is a little ridiculous. I find I write better when I’m up at the crack... and I’ve read more than a few writers talk about their penchant for being up before the sun. But I’d never in a million years thought
Hi Neko, like you, I am a problem sleeper. The same mental wandering phenomena that I really wish would be replaced by dreaming. Anyway, I've recently started using Bose Sleep buds to attempt to drown out the thoughts with sounds of waves or rain on canvas, and it seems to be helping. They form an airtight seal in your ears so they also provide passive noise cancelling. You might want to give them a try.
And we are animals fungus and stone with the attention of all of these.
I just learned that I’m ADHD at 56. With mindfulness medication and meditation I am as calm as rock while still and busy as Blue Jay with emotional issues.
Thank you for showing up in my path forward. Your music helped me immensely during the past few years thru loss and into hope
I’m just now realizing you’re on substack! Wow! 🥰. I need to fan gush!!! You’re music has been a GIANT part of my life soundtrack. You’re one of the BEST song writers out there— your poetry— so full of imagery that immediately takes my brain for a walk in a forest of delights and wild emotions for over 15 years. “Deep Red Bells” — “feels like being poor and small and popsicles is Summer…” that line— whew. You got me. “Blacklisted” & “Fox Confessor…” haven’t left my playlist in ages. I have yet to see you play live and missed you too many times when you played The Beachland Ballroom because I had a shitty car at the time that wouldn’t make the trip. You are truly a moon sister and one with all the animals. Thank you for being so ethereal, tough as effe, a pure poet of the world and beyond, and sharing your gift with all of us. I have such a wonderful place in my heart for your music. Thank you for giving my life the soundtrack that it deserves!! ♥️🥰♥️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🏆
I also get a d minus and naps or trying to sleep, I use an app called binaural beats, with your bobs and that helps a lot, but your music relaxes me and fills my soul as well. I'm so grateful I bought my 1st CD from you in Memphis at Young Ave Deli, then I got to see you at minglewood Hall in Memphis, because of band camp I enjoy your new stuff. Thank you so much for being who you are such amazing poetry music just as good as your earlier music
I listened to a fine BBC podcast with academics discussing circadian rhythms and sleep learned about endogenous clocks and so much more ! Musk oxen picture would be awesome
I have also been suddenly plagued by waking up before dawn! I do not enjoy 4am.
My go-to for drowning out my brain is children's audiobooks. I know the stories so I can let the pleasant narration lull me to sleep, dreaming of becoming Badger.
Not quite a musk oxen barricade and wooly bear cape, but it helps me.
I used to be the opposite of sleeping before I started taking Adderall. I wasn't medicated until a few years and one of the things that tipped me off for not being "normal" was that I could fall asleep anytime, any place, and in uncomfortable positions. I couldn't stay awake to finish studying to save my life, and I would sleep like 11 hours if I could. The best sleep I ever got was doing field work in a rainforest, the other researchers knew I was notorious for crawling in my tent at 7p, reading for a bit, then passing tf out (I actually regret this because I missed so many nocturnal animals being dead asleep and oh I could tell you a story or two about that). Since taking Adderall daily my sleep is hit or miss. This week it's been a miss and I have just grown to accept it and I use the hours to do easy work that doesn't take too much brain power. I feel you on the animals, my dog knows the command "come cuddle" because I use him sometimes as a living pillow to try and get my body to rest. It works sometimes. I've also been taking melatonin on occasion, but even that doesn't work all the time (even on max dose). I am a morning person, but I find the time change in the winter with the sun rising earlier really gets me up (530 this morning). I've been obsessing a little over bison this week. Also opposite, I am a huge fan of megafauna. In another life I did a study on dire wolf skulls and was a fanboy of the La Brea tar pits (where the skulls were from. The museum itself was sadly outdated and a little disappointing but it's still a good one to have on the list). If I could time travel that's where I would go. The animals can eat me, it would be a noble death. I would need to hug a mammoth first tho. Thanks for another book rec and a beautiful and relatable post as always.
Hi Neko, like you, I am a problem sleeper. The same mental wandering phenomena that I really wish would be replaced by dreaming. Anyway, I've recently started using Bose Sleep buds to attempt to drown out the thoughts with sounds of waves or rain on canvas, and it seems to be helping. They form an airtight seal in your ears so they also provide passive noise cancelling. You might want to give them a try.
And we are animals fungus and stone with the attention of all of these.
I just learned that I’m ADHD at 56. With mindfulness medication and meditation I am as calm as rock while still and busy as Blue Jay with emotional issues.
Thank you for showing up in my path forward. Your music helped me immensely during the past few years thru loss and into hope
I’m just now realizing you’re on substack! Wow! 🥰. I need to fan gush!!! You’re music has been a GIANT part of my life soundtrack. You’re one of the BEST song writers out there— your poetry— so full of imagery that immediately takes my brain for a walk in a forest of delights and wild emotions for over 15 years. “Deep Red Bells” — “feels like being poor and small and popsicles is Summer…” that line— whew. You got me. “Blacklisted” & “Fox Confessor…” haven’t left my playlist in ages. I have yet to see you play live and missed you too many times when you played The Beachland Ballroom because I had a shitty car at the time that wouldn’t make the trip. You are truly a moon sister and one with all the animals. Thank you for being so ethereal, tough as effe, a pure poet of the world and beyond, and sharing your gift with all of us. I have such a wonderful place in my heart for your music. Thank you for giving my life the soundtrack that it deserves!! ♥️🥰♥️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🏆
I also get a d minus and naps or trying to sleep, I use an app called binaural beats, with your bobs and that helps a lot, but your music relaxes me and fills my soul as well. I'm so grateful I bought my 1st CD from you in Memphis at Young Ave Deli, then I got to see you at minglewood Hall in Memphis, because of band camp I enjoy your new stuff. Thank you so much for being who you are such amazing poetry music just as good as your earlier music
I listened to a fine BBC podcast with academics discussing circadian rhythms and sleep learned about endogenous clocks and so much more ! Musk oxen picture would be awesome
waning its heart out?
I have also been suddenly plagued by waking up before dawn! I do not enjoy 4am.
My go-to for drowning out my brain is children's audiobooks. I know the stories so I can let the pleasant narration lull me to sleep, dreaming of becoming Badger.
Not quite a musk oxen barricade and wooly bear cape, but it helps me.
I used to be the opposite of sleeping before I started taking Adderall. I wasn't medicated until a few years and one of the things that tipped me off for not being "normal" was that I could fall asleep anytime, any place, and in uncomfortable positions. I couldn't stay awake to finish studying to save my life, and I would sleep like 11 hours if I could. The best sleep I ever got was doing field work in a rainforest, the other researchers knew I was notorious for crawling in my tent at 7p, reading for a bit, then passing tf out (I actually regret this because I missed so many nocturnal animals being dead asleep and oh I could tell you a story or two about that). Since taking Adderall daily my sleep is hit or miss. This week it's been a miss and I have just grown to accept it and I use the hours to do easy work that doesn't take too much brain power. I feel you on the animals, my dog knows the command "come cuddle" because I use him sometimes as a living pillow to try and get my body to rest. It works sometimes. I've also been taking melatonin on occasion, but even that doesn't work all the time (even on max dose). I am a morning person, but I find the time change in the winter with the sun rising earlier really gets me up (530 this morning). I've been obsessing a little over bison this week. Also opposite, I am a huge fan of megafauna. In another life I did a study on dire wolf skulls and was a fanboy of the La Brea tar pits (where the skulls were from. The museum itself was sadly outdated and a little disappointing but it's still a good one to have on the list). If I could time travel that's where I would go. The animals can eat me, it would be a noble death. I would need to hug a mammoth first tho. Thanks for another book rec and a beautiful and relatable post as always.