I will not lie. I can sleep in some amazing situations. For eight weeks, my commute involved a seventeen-seat prop plane where amidst rumbling engines, choppy weather, and non-reclining seats the sandman often found me before takeoff. Family members have recounted window-rattling, house-shaking thunderstorms that woke everyone in the household except for yours truly. Commuter trains, picnic tables, the cab of a pickup truck, a 100-year-old barn, a tent pitched on rocky terrain, and a 24-foot boat anchored in the middle of a lake, top the unusual places where I slept like a baby.

Why then, do I find it so difficult to fall asleep in my bed? I’ve read the list of helpful tips. I dimmed the lights, turned the temperature to the meat locker setting, removed clocks from my view, drank chamomile tea, played soft music, and practiced relaxation techniques without success. Taking a bath, exercising, reading, or scribbling brief notes to clear my mind, only drives any hope of slumber from my night.

The only option left was to Invent a coping mechanism. My rule is if I haven’t nodded off within 20 minutes, I get up and do something. Normally that translates to writing, editing, preparing graphics, scheduling posts, or other administrative work. The only light in my neighborhood is the one in my window. Anxiety evaporates during my bonus time, and I work happily until sleep calls my name.

Do you experience sleepless nights?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer